The Bulgarian passport has solidified its place among the many world’s strongest journey paperwork, rating 14th globally within the newest Henley Passport Index. This locations it on par with Cyprus and simply two nations behind the United States by way of visa-free entry. Bulgarian residents can enter 178 nations with out a visa, a quantity that has remained regular, although the nation has climbed one spot because the begin of the yr, transferring up from fifteenth place.
Meanwhile, the American passport has skilled a notable decline, falling out of the Top 10 for the primary time. Once probably the most influential in 2014, the US now ranks twelfth, sharing the place with Malaysia, and permits visa-free entry to 180 nations. The drop displays current shifts in visa insurance policies, together with the top of visa-free entry to Brazil, elimination from China’s checklist, and updates to Papua New Guinea and Myanmar’s entry guidelines. Additional adjustments in Somalia and Vietnam additional contributed to the US passport’s decline, highlighting a broader development in world mobility.
The rating methodology, primarily based on knowledge from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), measures a passport’s power by the variety of nations accessible with out a visa. Leading the checklist are Singapore (193 nations), South Korea (190), and Japan (189). Five European nations, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland, share fourth place with visa-free entry to 188 nations. The British passport, as soon as first in 2015, has additionally fallen, now standing at eighth, marking its lowest place because the index started.
Christian Kellin, chairman of the Henley Passport Index, famous that the shifts sign extra than simply minor adjustments in rankings. They point out a worldwide development the place nations embracing open relations and cooperation are gaining mobility benefits. For US passport holders, entry stays sturdy at 180 nations, but solely 46 nations reciprocate with visa-free entry to the United States.
In distinction, the Chinese passport has seen vital progress over the previous decade, rising from 94th place in 2015 to sixty fourth in 2025. Visa-free entry for Chinese residents has elevated by 37 nations, reflecting the rising affect of countries that develop world connectivity. The Bulgarian passport’s secure development and excessive world rating underscore the nation’s rising prominence in worldwide journey freedom.