The Philippine passport continues its slow and steady climb up the global mobility ladder, now ranked as the 72nd most powerful in the world, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.
Filipino travelers can now visit 67 countries visa-free — a slight but notable improvement from earlier this year, when the passport was ranked 75th. The jump marks a small victory for the country’s travel freedom but also highlights how far the Philippines still has to go compared to the world’s most dominant passports.
The Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), assigns each country a score equivalent to the number of destinations its passport holders can enter without needing a visa. The higher the number of visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations, the more “powerful” the passport is considered.
Steady progress for the Philippines
Over the last five years, the Philippine passport has shown incremental progress:
- 2020: Rank 74
- 2021: Rank 77
- 2022: Rank 80 (its lowest in recent years)
- 2023: Rank 78
- 2024 (early): Rank 75
- 2024 (mid-year update): Rank 72
While the improvement is encouraging, Filipinos still face visa requirements for most of Europe, North America, and parts of the Middle East.
Asia dominates the top ranks
Asia continues to dominate the top of the global passport hierarchy:
- 1st: Singapore holds the crown with visa-free access to 193 destinations.
- 2nd: Japan and South Korea, each with access to 190 countries.
- 3rd: A powerhouse group of European nations — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain — all tied with 189 destinations.
The rest of the elite tier
Trailing closely are other European and Oceania nations:
- 4th: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden (188)
- 5th: Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland (187)
- 6th: United Kingdom (186)
- 7th: Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, Poland (185)
- 8th: Canada, Estonia, United Arab Emirates (184)
- 9th: Croatia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia (183)
- 10th: Iceland (182)
At the bottom of the list
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Afghanistan, whose citizens can access only 25 destinations visa-free — the weakest passport in the world today.
What this means for Filipino travelers
The improved ranking reflects broader diplomatic efforts and stronger bilateral agreements. However, travel enthusiasts and professionals alike still find themselves facing lengthy visa application processes for many popular destinations like the United States, United Kingdom, and Schengen Area countries.
Still, the recent climb is a step in the right direction. With continued focus on foreign policy and improved global relations, the hope is that the Philippine passport will gain more strength in the years to come.
For now, 72nd place is a small win — but the journey to global mobility parity is far from over.