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