KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has tied with the United States for 12th place on the Henley Passport Index 2025.
Both countries offer visa-free access to 180 destinations worldwide out of 227 total destinations.
Singapore leads the index with access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea with 190 and Japan with 189.
This marks the first time in 20 years that the US passport has fallen out of the top 10 rankings.
The US dropped from 10th to 12th position due to several access restrictions imposed by other countries.
It lost visa-free access to Brazil in April due to reciprocity issues.
China’s expanding visa-free list also excluded the US, along with changes by Papua New Guinea and Myanmar.
Somalia’s new eVisa system and Vietnam’s latest visa-free additions further impacted the American ranking.
Henley & Partners Chairman Dr Christian H. Kaelin said the weakening US passport reflects shifting global mobility and soft power.
He noted that countries pursuing greater openness and reciprocity are gaining influence.
The United Kingdom passport has also fallen to its lowest position ever, slipping from sixth to eighth place.
Though the US passport provides access to 180 countries, America itself only grants visa-free entry to 46 nationalities.
This ranks the US 77th on the Henley Openness Index for visa-free access granted to other countries.
China has significantly improved both its access and openness rankings over the last decade.
China now grants visa-free access to 76 countries, climbing from 94th to 64th position.
This reflects China’s expanding mobility strategy through bilateral agreements with Russia, Gulf states, South America and parts of Europe.
China introduced 30 new visa waivers in 2024 alone to reinforce regional and global connectivity.
The declining power of the US passport is driving increased demand for alternative citizenship.
Henley & Partners reports US nationals now represent the largest cohort of applicants for investment migration programmes globally.
Applications from Americans have surged by 67% year-on-year as of the third quarter of 2025. – Bernama
