These Are the Most Powerful Passports in the World Right Now-and Why the U.S. Just Dropped in Ranking

"Passports from the United States have fallen to historic lows following an updated ranking of the world's most powerful passports. U.S. passports fell below the top 10 of the world's most powerful passports for the first time, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which was released this week and is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The U.S. passport was ranked in 12th place with Americans granted visa-free access to 180 out of 227 total destinations around the world."

""The declining strength of the U.S. passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings-it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics," Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, the chairman of Henley & Partners, said in a statement. "Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind." Henley & Partners attributed the drop in the power of the U.S. passport in part to the loss of visa-free travel to Brazil due to a lack of reciprocity."

U.S. passports dropped to 12th place on the Henley Passport Index, tied with Malaysia, offering visa-free access to 180 of 227 destinations. The ranking slipped from ninth earlier this year, reflecting a measurable decline in U.S. travel freedom. Contributing factors include loss of visa-free access to Brazil over reciprocity issues and exclusion from China’s expanding visa-free list, along with limitations from countries such as Vietnam. Only 46 countries permit visa-free entry to the United States. The most powerful passports are held by Singapore (193), South Korea (190), and Japan (189). Many destinations require U.S. passports to be valid for six months beyond travel dates.

Read at Travel + Leisure