What the Henley Passport Index measures
The annual Henley Passport Index ranks passports by how freely their holders can travel without a visa. But the score isn’t just about visa-free access. It also accounts for destinations where travelers can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authorization (ETA) upon arrival. In other words, the index reflects both visa-free travel and facilitated entry options, giving a practical view of mobility for passport holders.
How the ranking is calculated
Henley & Partners compiles data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and compiles it for 227 destinations. However, the index ultimately ranks 199 passports. The inclusion of territories or areas not formally recognized as independent nations helps capture a broader picture of travel freedom. The resulting score is a tally of destinations where a passport holder can visit with little or no friction, which producers say mirrors global mobility and soft power dynamics.
The US slips from the top ten
For the first time in its 20-year history, the United States falls out of the top 10 in the latest Henley Passport Index. The US now sits around 12th place, with access to roughly 180 destinations visa-free or with visa-on-arrival or ETA arrangements. The drop is attributed to several visa-access shifts: Brazil curtailed visa-free access due to reciprocity concerns, and some countries, including China and Vietnam, did not add the United States to their visa-free lists. Other adjustments in Myanmar and Papua New Guinea also adjusted the global balance of visa-free travel. Henley’s founder Christian Kaelin described the shift as reflecting a broader trend: openness and cooperation are driving mobility gains, while some long-standing privileges are eroding as nations recalibrate entry rules.
What it means for American travelers
With 180 visa-free destinations, U.S. passport holders still enjoy broad reach. But compared with peers that added more accessible routes, the United States is facing stiffer competition in the mobility race. The concept of visa reciprocity matters; a passport’s real-world value depends not just on how many places you can go without a visa, but also on how those destinations reciprocate in their entry rules.
Where Australia stands in the rankings
Australia remains in the top tier of the index. In the latest release, the Australian passport is ranked 7th, with access to about 185 destinations without a visa or with a straightforward visa-on-arrival or ETA on entry. This places Australia alongside other well-connected European peers such as Czechia, Malta, and Poland in recent years. The highest ranking Australia has achieved was 5th in 2024, with the lowest ever being 9th in 2019, 2010, and 2006. The stability of Australia’s ranking underscores a broad global openness and well-managed travel agreements that keep its citizens widely mobile.
What determines an Australian trip abroad
Henley & Partners categorizes destinations into four groups: visa-free travel, visas on arrival, electronic travel authority (ETA), and visa-required. For Australians, the large share of destinations fall into visa-free or ETA categories, enabling smoother international travel for business, tourism, and study. This mirrors Australia’s own visa policies and its international cooperation on travel facilitation, including regional partnerships and bilateral agreements that reduce friction at borders.
Top 10 and bottom 10 at a glance
Singapore continues to lead the index, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 of the measured destinations, followed by South Korea and Japan. The bottom of the rankings remains challenging for many travelers, with Afghanistan at the very bottom due to limited visa-free access. For a traveler, those rankings translate into real-world planning considerations about entry requirements, processing times, and the potential need for advance visas.
What this means for global mobility
Beyond national pride, the index highlights how countries are negotiating openness and reciprocity in an era of shifting geopolitical dynamics. A strong passport often correlates with trust, stable governance, and robust international cooperation. For Australians, the solid ranking reinforces the country’s ability to facilitate international travel for its residents.
Bottom line
Australia’s 7th-place standing confirms its status as a highly navigable passport in a changing landscape. The US’s drop from the top 10 serves as a signal of evolving mobility patterns and the importance of reciprocal visa policies. Travelers should stay aware of entry requirements, as even small policy shifts can alter how freely a passport can carry you around the world.
