The US passport ranks 10th now, and these are the trips that actually got harder

The American passport is 10th in the world, with visa-free access to 179 destinations, and it lost seven of them in a single year. Singapore sits first on 192. Japan and South Korea share second on 188. In 2006 the United States was joint first; it is now behind Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom and most of the European Union, and it briefly fell out of the top ten altogether in late 2025. Those are the numbers from the Henley Passport Index. What they mean in practice is narrower than the headlines suggest: a handful of specific countries now want paperwork and a fee before you fly.

Where the American passport sits

Tenth, and the gap at the top is now 13 destinations. The index counts the places a passport can enter without arranging a visa first.

What actually changed

The clearest loss is Brazil, and it is about reciprocity rather than politics. Since 10 April 2025, American, Canadian and Australian passport holders have needed a visa for Brazil again, because Brazil asked those countries to drop visa requirements for Brazilians and they did not. It is an e-visa rather than an embassy appointment: you apply online, it costs US$80.90, and it is valid for ten years and multiple entries, with stays capped at 90 days a year. Apply well ahead; the operator recommends about two months, though processing usually runs to a few working days.

The rest of the year’s decline is mostly about not being added to other countries’ new visa-free lists. As China, Vietnam and others widened visa-free entry to more nationalities, the United States was left off, which lowers the score without anything being taken away. Henley’s own commentary, as reported by CNN, also points to changes in Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and Somalia’s move to an eVisa.

China is the interesting case, because there is a workaround that most Americans do not know about: a US passport still gets 240 hours in China without a visa when you are transiting to a third country.

Does the ranking matter, really?

Only as a proxy for paperwork, cost and lead time. Nobody is refused a holiday because their passport is tenth rather than first. What the ranking measures is how often you must apply for something before you go, and each application is a fee, a form and a wait you have to plan around. Seven fewer visa-free destinations means a handful of trips that now need three weeks of notice instead of none.

It is also worth keeping the scale in view. 179 destinations is still most of the world, and the practical difference between 179 and Singapore’s 192 is a short list of countries most travellers were never going to visit this year.

Where it is still simple for Americans

Nepal is one of the easy ones, and it stayed easy. A US passport gets a visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport: fill in the form, pay the fee, walk through. It costs US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 and US$125 for 90, and there is nothing to arrange before you fly except a passport with six months left on it. Our Nepal visa guide for US citizens has the detail, and what an American needs to plan a Nepal trek covers the routings and the budget.

How many countries can Americans visit without a visa?

179, according to the Henley Passport Index for January 2026, which puts the United States 10th in the world.

Do Americans need a visa for Brazil?

Yes. Since 10 April 2025 US passport holders need a visa again, applied for online. It costs US$80.90 and is valid for ten years with multiple entries, up to 90 days a year.

Do Americans need a visa for Nepal?

Not in advance. Nepal issues a visa on arrival to US passport holders, at US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days or US$125 for 90 days.

Sources: Henley & Partners, Henley Passport Index press release, 13 January 2026; CNN and Forbes reporting on the July 2026 update; Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the e-visa for US, Canadian and Australian citizens; Nepal Department of Immigration fees. Entry rules change: confirm before booking.

Cover photo: Tony Webster via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).