Australia slumps on list of world’s most powerful passports
The ranking is based on the number of countries you can visit without requiring a full visa.
By Staff Writers, October 16 2025
Australia has the world’s most expensive passport, but it’s certainly not the most powerful – in fact, it’s fallen out of the Top Five, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a visa or with visa-on-arrival access.
Singapore continued to hold pole position. with easy access to 193 countries out of 227 globally, followed by South Korea and Japan, and then most European Union countries.
As for Australia, our high-priced high-tech passport dropped from fifth place to seventh – alongside Czechia, Hungary, Malta and Poland – with visa-free access to 185 destinations.
But the real shocker is the US, which for first time in the 20-year history of the ranking, the US passport has dropped out of the prestigious Top Ten.
Once judged the world’s most powerful passport in 2014, it now languishes with Malaysia in 12th place.
Henley Passport Index creator Christian Kaelin says this “signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics.”
“Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind.”
Visa reciprocity is a key factor here: while US passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 180 countries, the United States allows only 46 to enter visa-free in return.
The UK passport, which held #1 ranking on the index in 2015, has also fallen to its lowest-ever position at 8th place.
Also read: Australia now has the world’s most expensive passport
05 Apr 2012
Total posts 34
And above USA!!!!!
06 Mar 2020
Total posts 7
Can someone tell me, Why are our passports so expensive?
Etihad - Etihad Guest
21 Jul 2019
Total posts 227
Answer: they're not that expensive to produce because it's all done in bulk. And the time it takes to 'customize' and print your personal bio page...count that in mere seconds. It's not a labour-intensive task, like painting a Rembrandt. It takes longer to boil a packet of 2 minute noodles than it takes to make your passport.
It's just that our gov't CHOOSES to make it expensive for you by whacking on an obscene markup several hundred percent. They call it a 'fee'. In reality it's a markup for profit pure and simple (just like a business). Gotta keep Jim Chalmers and the Canberra Make-Work Brigade happy!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 860
In other words, it's a benign form of wealth tax by stealth, because only the affluent need them and can therefore afford to pay it.
18 Sep 2018
Total posts 18
Sadly, I fear this will continue. The arrogance of having one of the most expensive passports in the world, yet doing nothing to promote visa free access to other countries will continue to diminish the ranking of the Aussie passport.
Nomad capitalist talks about the diminishing value or lagacy brand countries, and with the fall of the US, Australian and British passports that is being shown.
13 Dec 2019
Total posts 2
Interesting article, but very light on detail.
Did the number of countries we can access fall, or was it due to other passports improving their ranking?
If the number of countries Australians can access did fall, which countries could we access last year that we can't access now? And why did those countries change their policy on access for Australians?
Surely answers to these questions are needed to put the article in context?
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1614
I never understand such ranking. Unless given country has my cultural or business interest or my relatives living there it does not really matter. Lets compare "the best" passport being Singaporean and Australian one. Countries where you can go with Singaporean passport and cannot go with Australian one: Azerbaijan, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Cote d'Ivore, Cuba, Gabon, Channa, Guinea, Uganda, Vietnam. Other way around Falkland Island, Iraq, Ukraine, Venezuela. How much in reality Australian passport "restrict" your travel comparing to Singaporean one? From that list I been only in Vietnam and getting visa was a breeze. I fail to see any problem. As long as I can go to EU, North America and everywhere in Asia I fail to see that my "freedom of movement" is restricted anyhow.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jun 2017
Total posts 59
Maybe some people want to go to Brazil, or Chile, or some African countries. Maybe there are 27 million Australians, and not just you, and maybe their travel needs differ. Maybe.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1614
If you want to go to (say) Chile as a once in lifetime trip what is stopping you to get visa? Few years back I been in Vietnam and Vietnam is not visa-free for Australians. So what? Absent of (say) Chile in Australian passport does not make any difference to vast majority of Australians. And even if you have relatives in (say) Chile, you can obtain multi-entry visa, so what is the problem? My point is - once your passport allow you to travel to core countries of interest it does not really matter if it sits on first of fifth position. Especially considering that first position is still missing some countries from fifth ones.
05 Feb 2022
Total posts 5
"Slumped???"
Dropped two spots. Still lots of countries we can go to. Now even to go to Chile is visa-free too.
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