The Sri Lankan passport has dropped to 97th place in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025 Global Ranking, released on September 11.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka had shown notable progress, climbing from 96th to 91st place, an improvement from its 2024 position of 96. However, in the latest update, the country slipped back to 97th—one place lower than in 2024—with a visa-free score of 41 destinations, compared to 42 previously.
Sri Lanka now shares the 97th position with Iran in the index, which features a total of 105 rankings.
The Henley Passport Index evaluates passports worldwide based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
Globally, the U.S. passport has also experienced a decline, falling to 12th place—its lowest position in the 20-year history of the index—down two spots from July. Singapore continues to hold the top ranking as the world’s most powerful passport, followed by South Korea and Japan. At the other end of the scale, Afghanistan remains at the bottom, providing its citizens with the least travel freedom.
The Henley Passport Index, widely regarded as the most authoritative measure of global mobility, assesses 199 passports against 227 destinations, drawing on two decades of historical data and expert analysis.
