The U.S. is on the point of exiting the highest 10 in an annual rating of the world’s strongest passports for the primary time within the index’s 20-year historical past.
American passports fell to a tenth place tie, collectively held by Iceland and Lithuania, on this yr’s Henley Passport Index — which bases its rankings on what number of locations a passport’s holder can enter with no visa. The U.S. has fallen within the rankings yearly since 2014, when its passports had been ranked as essentially the most highly effective.
The U.S. has visa-free entry to 182 locations, whereas a passport from Singapore, which holds the highest spot, grants the holder visa-free entry to 193 locations, based on the Index. In a Tuesday information launch, Henley, a London-based international migration guide group, famous that nations just like the U.S. and U.Okay. “look like retreating behind extra restrictive entry insurance policies.”
“Your passport is now not only a journey doc — it is a reflection of your nation’s diplomatic affect and worldwide relationships,” Henley & Companions CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen stated in a information launch.
American vacationers can discover out which nations require a visa by utilizing the U.S. State Division’s Be taught About Your Vacation spot search instrument.
The U.S. additionally ranks low on “openness,” solely permitting 46 different nationalities to go to visa-free, based on the index. Entry necessities to the U.S. are based mostly on a number of elements, together with nationwide safety, public security and statutory necessities, based on the State Division.
In an announcement, a State Division spokesperson stated the federal company stays assured within the power and international attain of the U.S. passport.
“Whereas worldwide passport rankings might range based mostly on methodology, our focus stays on facilitating safe, environment friendly, and reciprocal journey for Americans and overseas nationals alike,” the spokesperson stated.
In second place on this yr’s Henley index are Japan and South Korea, with passports from these nations each granting holders visa-free entry to 190 different nations. A lot of the remaining prime 10 slots, which embody a number of tied rankings, are held by European nations, aside from the United Arab Emirates and Canada in a tie for eighth place and the U.S. within the 10 spot.
Afghanistan is ranked final. Its passport grants visa-free entry to only 25 nations.
Henley says its index is predicated on unique knowledge from the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation, a serious journey info database.
“The consolidation we’re seeing on the prime underscores that entry is earned – and have to be maintained – via energetic and strategic diplomacy,” stated Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, inventor of the passport-index idea, in an announcement. “Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements proceed to rise, whereas the alternative applies to those who are much less engaged in such efforts.”
