These 2 Southeast Asian countries are most open in visa policy

By Phuong Anh October 20, 2025 | 10:48 pm PT

Tourists line up to tour the ruins at Angkor Wat in Cambodia on March 9, 2023. Photo by Reuters

Timor-Leste and Cambodia are the only two Southeast Asian representatives to be placed high on the Henley Openness Index 2025, granting visa-free entry to citizens from hundreds of countries and territories.

11 countries including Timor Leste ranked first for border openness, according to the index released this month that measures 199 countries and territories worldwide based on the number of nationalities they permit entry to without a prior visa.

Timor Leste is the only Southeast Asian representative appearing on top of the list as it offers visa exemptions for citizens of 198 countries and territories.

Cambodia shared the second position with Dominica, Guinea-Bissau, Maldives and Madagascar, granting visa exemptions for citizens of 197 countries and territories.

Despite ranking highly for tourism openness, Timor-Leste and Cambodia stood low in the global ranking of world's most powerful passports.

Timor-Leste has the world's 56th most powerful passport, allowing its citizens to access visa-free to 94 out of 227 destinations.

Cambodian passport ranked 92nd with visa-free access to only 50 destinations.