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By Marni Rose McFall
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The Henley Passport Index has revealed its rankings for 2026, and the U.S.’ standing has changed for the better.
The U.S. had previously ranked at position 12 in 2025. Now, the ranking has jumped up to position number 10.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Department of State outside of normal business hours for comment.
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Why It Matters
The ranking by Henley & Partners are based on International Air Transport Association data and show the number of countries that each passport is able to access either without a visa, or with a visa on arrival.
The U.S. had previously slipped out of the top 10. Given that the rankings are described by Henley & Partners as a reflection of “soft-power dynamics,” this suggests that the U.S. had experienced a decrease previously. Now, it has built itself back up in the rankings.
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What To Know
The U.S. has a score of 179, meaning that a U.S. passport can access 179 of 227 countries and territories on the index.
The U.S. has lost visa-free access to seven destinations over the past 12 months—among them, Vietnam, China, and Brazil, which ended visa-free entry for U.S. citizens due to lack of reciprocity. While it is back in the top 10, many of the higher spots on the top 10 index are occupied by multiple countries in tied rankings. As a result, there are more than 30 countries outranking the U.S. in the top spots.
Newsweek spoke with Rebecca Hamlin a professor of legal studies and political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, about the rank change. "These decisions are often about relations between the two countries, about reciprocity, so if the U.S. starts requiring a visa, they might start requiring one in return," Hamlin said.
"It’s also often about whether the receiving country thinks the citizens holding that passport will actually leave at the end of their visit, and not overstay, or seek asylum. So, the U.S. is very high on the list because its citizens tend to go home at the end of their travels, and not use passport privilege as a backdoor to unauthorized immigration, which is what all of this is ultimately about," she added.
The top three passports according to the latest report are Singapore at No. 1 and Japan and South Korea are tied at No. 2.
This is the top 10 ranking of passports, according to the index:
Singapore—1st
Japan—2nd (Tied)
South Korea—2nd (Tied)
Denmark—3rd (Tied)
Luxembourg—3rd (Tied)
Spain—3rd (Tied)
Sweden—3rd (Tied)
Switzerland—3rd (Tied)
Austria—4th (Tied)
Belgium—4th (Tied)
Finland—4th (Tied)
France—4th (Tied)
Germany—4th (Tied)
Ireland—4th (Tied)
Italy—4th (Tied)
Netherlands—4th (Tied)
Norway—4th (Tied)
Hungary—5th (Tied)
Portugal—5th (Tied)
Slovakia—5th (Tied)
United Arab Emirates—5th (Tied)
Croatia—6th (Tied)
Czechia—6th (Tied)
Estonia—6th (Tied)
Malta—6th (Tied)
New Zealand—6th (Tied)
Poland—6th (Tied)
Australia—7th (Tied)
Latvia—7th (Tied)
Liechtenstein—7th (Tied)
United Kingdom—7th (Tied)
Canada—8th (Tied)
Iceland—8th (Tied)
Lithuania—8th (Tied)
Malaysia—9th (Tied)
United States—10th (Tied)
What People Are Saying
Rebecca Hamlin a professor of legal studies and political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst told Newsweek: "This most recent change is a pretty marginal shift, as the downgrade out of the top 10 was temporary. However, the long term trend has been for the U.S. to be moving away from the very top of the list, where it was about a decade ago. What this means in practical terms is that half a dozen to about 10 countries have stopped letting U.S. citizens in without a visa."
The Henley Passport Index introduction for the 2026 Global Ranking reads: “The Henley Passport Index is the original and most authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, giving users the most extensive and reliable information about their global access and mobility.”
What Happens Next?
Rankings may continue to fluctuate, particularly as President Donald Trump's administration looks to restrict access to the U.S. for some countries, meaning that Americans could, in turn, face reciprocal measures, which has happened with Brazil.
Update 01/15/26, 8:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comment from Rebecca Hamlin.
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