Greece has stepped into fifth place on the list of most powerful passports in the world, according to the latest Henley Passport Index for 2025.
Cyprus has also gone up to 12th place since the last ranking, while Australia has fallen to seventh.
The Henley Passport Index, which has been leveraging data on this for the past 19 years, evaluates the strength of passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without requiring a prior visa.
The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is supported by the research team of Henley & Partners, a London-based immigration and investment consultancy.
Top passports for 2025
Singapore leads the index for another, with its passport holders able to access 193 destinations visa-free. Japan and South Korea follow in second place with 190 destinations.
Factors such as ease of permanent relocation or other relevant indicators related to long-term residence in another country are not taken into account.
Australia was in fifth place this time last year along with Portugal, but now sits in seventh alongside Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta and Poland.
Australian passport holders now have visa-free access to four fewer destinations than last year.
Last year the United States held 7th place, but this year it fell to 10th, losing visa-free access to four destinations and limiting the number of available destinations that US citizens can visit to 182.
The United Kingdom also moved… down the list, taking 6th place this year with access to 186 destinations without a visa, while neighbouring New Zealand is in 5th place together with Greece with 187.
As the US and the UK shift towards more… closed policies, their citizens’ interest in wider access to countries and greater security on a global level is increasing significantly.
“The passport is no longer just a travel document, it now reflects a country’s diplomatic power and international relations,” said Henley and Partners CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen.
“In a period of increasing inequalities and intense geopolitical turmoil, strategic mobility and citizenship planning is more necessary than ever.”
Asian countries continue to strengthen their lead over many European countries.
The creator of the Henley Passport Index stressed that global mobility is becoming increasingly competitive, noting that the consolidation of some countries at the top of the ranking proves that easier access to travel destinations is “won — and must be maintained — through active and strategic diplomacy.”
“States that are actively negotiating visa liberalization and cultivating reciprocal agreements continue to rise (in the rankings) while the opposite is true for those that are less involved in such efforts.”
Typical examples are China and the United Arab Emirates, which have seen significant increases in rankings over the last decade.
China rose from 94th to 60th place, despite the fact that its travellers still need visas for the 29 countries of the Schengen zone in Europe.
The United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, jumped from 42nd to eighth place.
Top 10 for Most “Powerful” Passports for 2025
1. Singapore
2. Japan, South Korea
3. Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain
4. Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden
5. Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland
6. United Kingdom
7. Australia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland
8. Canada, Estonia, United Arab Emirates
9. Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia
10. Iceland, Lithuania, USA
