United States vs Japan Passport Comparison

United States flag

United States

AMERICAS

#9
Rank
Visa-Free Access179 countries
Japan flag

Japan

ASIA

#2
Rank
Visa-Free Access187 countries

Detailed Comparison

Visa-Free Destinations

2026 Ranking

Global Mobility Score

Japan
83/100

Openness Score

Japan
95/100

Continent

Japan
ASIA

Schengen Member

Citizenship by Investment

Residency by Investment

Visa on Arrival

eTA Available

e-Visa Available

Visa Required

Comparison Summary & Recommendations

Overall Winner

Japan

With 187 visa-free destinations, Japan offers the most global mobility among the compared passports.

Schengen Area Access

United States

United States is a Schengen Area member, providing free movement across 27 European countries.

Residency by Investment

United States

United States offers a Residency by Investment program for those seeking alternative pathways.

Most Unique Access

Japan

Japan provides exclusive visa-free access to 11 destinations not accessible with the other passports.

Key Insights

  • All compared passports share access to 128 common destinations
  • The strongest passport offers 187 visa-free destinations
  • Consider your travel priorities: business, leisure, or specific regions when choosing a passport
  • Visa requirements can change - always verify current entry requirements before traveling

Visa Access Analysis

Understanding the overlap and unique access each passport provides

128
Shared Destinations
7
Unique to United States
11
Unique to Japan

Exclusive Visa-Free Access

United States flag

United States

7 unique destinations

JapanCanadaMarshall IslandsPalau IslandsPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsMalawi
Japan flag

Japan

11 unique destinations

ChinaBelarusBoliviaBrazilLaosParaguayUnited Arab EmiratesUzbekistanVenezuelaVietnam+1 more
Note: Exclusive visa-free access means destinations that are only accessible visa-free with that specific passport and not with any of the other compared passports.

Shared Visa-Free Destinations (128)

Countries that all compared passports can access visa-free

South KoreaAlbaniaAndorraAnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustriaBahamasBarbadosBelgiumBelizeBermudaBonaire; St. Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBruneiBulgariaCayman IslandsChileColombiaCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCuracaoCyprusCzechiaDenmarkDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorEstoniaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench West IndiesGeorgiaGermanyGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuamGuatemala+78 more destinations

Ranking Trends Over Time (Server Rendered)

Historical passport ranking comparison from 2006 to 2025 (lower rank is better)

2025 Snapshot

United States

Rank: #9

Visa-free: 186

Japan

Rank: #2

Visa-free: 193

Recent Historical Ranks

YearUnited StatesJapan
2025#9 (186)#2 (193)
2024#7 (188)#1 (194)
2023#7 (186)#1 (193)
2022#6 (186)#1 (192)
2021#7 (185)#1 (192)
2020#7 (185)#1 (191)
2019#6 (184)#1 (190)
2018#5 (186)#1 (190)
2017#5 (172)#5 (172)
2016#4 (174)#5 (173)

Each cell shows rank and visa-free count for that year.

Compare More Passports

Discover how other passports compare in visa-free travel access, global rankings, and travel freedom with our comprehensive comparison tool.

199+ Countries
Compare Up to 3 Passports