The U.S. is getting ready to 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 out a visa. The U.S. has fallen within the rankings yearly since 2014, when its passports had been ranked as probably 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 marketing consultant group, famous that international locations just like the U.S. and U.Okay. “seem like retreating behind extra restrictive entry insurance policies.”
“Your passport is not only a journey doc — it is a reflection of your nation’s diplomatic affect and worldwide relationships,” Henley & Companions CEO Dr. Juerg Steffen mentioned in a information launch.
American vacationers can discover out which international locations require a visa through the use of 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 primarily based on a number of components, together with nationwide safety, public security and statutory necessities, based on the State Division.
In an announcement, a State Division spokesperson mentioned the federal company stays assured within the power and international attain of the U.S. passport.
“Whereas worldwide passport rankings might fluctuate primarily based on methodology, our focus stays on facilitating safe, environment friendly, and reciprocal journey for Americans and overseas nationals alike,” the spokesperson mentioned.
In second place on this yr’s Henley index are Japan and South Korea, with passports from these international locations each granting holders visa-free entry to 190 different international locations. A lot of the remaining prime 10 slots, which embody a number of tied rankings, are held by European international locations, except 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 simply 25 international locations.
Henley says its index is predicated on unique information from the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation, a significant journey info database.
“The consolidation we’re seeing on the prime underscores that entry is earned – and should be maintained – by way of lively and strategic diplomacy,” mentioned 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 other applies to people who are much less engaged in such efforts.”
