Between 2021 and 2025, the US passport experienced a striking drop in the Global Passport Index, falling from the top spot in 2021 to 14th place in the 2025 Global Passport Index.
This shift is not a coincidence.
With the Global Passport Index, developed by Global Citizen Solutions, framing passports not merely as travel documents but as protection against geopolitical shocks, economic instability, and climate risk, the result signals more than just a statistical quirk.
Why the US Passport Fell
The triggers cover broad systemic weaknesses.
Loss of visa free access
Brazil has tightened visa free access for US passport holders, responding to policy shifts and reciprocity concerns. While UK and EU passport holders still enjoy visa free access to Brazil, the country reinstated the visa requirement for US passport holders in April 2025.
The 2025 Enhanced Mobility Index highlights the weaker US passport ranking compared to other tier-one passports, with it sitting all the way down in 39th place.
Geopolitical withdrawal and tougher entry requirements
The US government has tightened its immigration policies, having terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for certain nationalities and increasing the H-1B visa fee from around $5,000 to $100,000 for new applications. This has had a compounding effect on diplomatic relations, as evident in the US’s decline in rankings.
Rising competition
Several states worldwide have actively expanded visa-free access for their passport holders, established diplomatic ties, and introduced investor-friendly residency and citizenship by investment programs, pushing them up while the US slides down. The UAE Golden Visa became even more attractive in 2025 after introducing new privileges, including extending evacuation and emergency-response support through UAE diplomatic missions abroad to long-term residents.
The Global Passport Index methodology rewards countries that combine mobility with investment and quality-of-life improvements, reflected in the 14-place rise of the Antigua and Barbuda passport, while the US passport has fallen.
Why a 13-place Fall Matters for Americans
The Global Passport Index for 2025 reveals underlying diplomatic and economic relationships. A dramatic fall, like the US passport’s signals:
- Reduced diplomatic goodwill; every loss in the total US passport visa free countries is a small diplomatic cost that accumulates.
- Shrinking reciprocal access that impacts business travel, study opportunities, and tourism.
- Behavioral shifts among citizens, as increasing numbers of Americans consider second citizenships, residency, or overseas migration. This was proven with the Grenada government reporting that US citizens jumped from 1 percent to 12 percent of approved Grenada Citizenship by Investment applications this year.
Relevant Implications for Citizens and Investors
Laura Madrid, Global Intelligence Research Lead at Global Citizen Solutions, gave a straightforward assessment of the implications.
“With the US passport slipping in both the Enhanced Mobility Index and the broader GPI ranking, Americans are feeling the impact: fewer visa free opportunities, more obstacles to international business and education, and a noticeable acceleration in the number of US citizens turning to alternative residencies and citizenships as a form of strategic safeguard, a Plan B.”
Going back to Grenada’s report of an increasing number of Americans being granted citizenship, the slipping passport rank has signaled a need to review international options — whether that’s to get a Plan B passport or diversify residency.
For businesses and investors, weakened mobility for executives or specialists makes it more difficult to hire talent and manage cross-border operations, potentially discouraging international investors and affecting the Global Passport Index’s Investment Index ranking.
A Summary of the Fall in Ranking
The US passport’s drop from number 1 in 2021 to 14 in the 2025 Global Passport Index is a reality check for Americans and investors. With passports now being strategic tools, the decline reflects diplomatic and policy shifts, growing competition from countries easing visa rules, and a broader re-evaluation of what a passport delivers.
You can explore our 2025 Global Passport Index to understand more about the US passport’s decline, as well as compare its ranking against other countries, track mobility trends, and explore the benefits of passports growing in strength.