PHL passport ranks 73rd in global ranking

The Philippine passport ranked 73rd globally, two ranks higher than a year earlier, in terms of visa-free privileges in global destinations, according to the London-based Henley Passport Index (HPI) on Tuesday.

“Against a backdrop in which many passports experienced declining mobility as visa-on-arrival regimes were phased out, the Philippine passport has performed broadly in line with the global average,” Henley & Partners Asia Head of Private Clients Scott Moore said in a statement.

The HPI ranks passports globally based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa. In the January 2026 HPI, Filipino passport holders have access to 64 countries, a three-point decline from last year.

“As with many passports globally, this reflects the loss of access to Pakistan, Mauritania, and Somalia, all of which introduced eVisa systems over the past year,” Mr. Moore said.

Singapore remained the strongest passport with access to 192 countries, followed by Japan and South Korea, which have visa-free entry to 188 countries.

Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland closely trailed behind at third spot with 186 countries.

Other European countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway, ranked fourth with visa-free admission to 185 countries.

The limited access for Filipinos to destinations abroad is also evident in the Henley Openness Index, where only 28.63% of global destinations are visa-free for Philippine passport holders.

Mr. Moore underscored that despite the restricted mobility, the Philippines has performed “strongly” in openness, ranking 16th highest globally and offering visa-free entry to 81.31% of the world’s nationalities.

“This asymmetry is largely driven by international perceptions of migration and overstay risk, as well as income disparities,” he said. “Over time, strengthening outbound travel compliance data, improving income levels, and pursuing targeted visa-waiver diplomacy will be key levers for enhancing the global mobility of the Philippine passport.”

He added that the move to grant visa-free access for Indians has also helped the Philippines’ performance in terms of openness.

“The decision to open to India comes at a critical time: with Chinese tourist arrivals declining sharply in 2025, visa-free access for Indian travelers is expected to help diversify source markets, offset visitor losses, and support domestic tourism revenues.”

In June 2025, the Philippines granted Indian nationals visa-free entry with a maximum stay of 14 days for tourism purposes or a 30-day stay for those who possess a valid and current American, Japanese, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore, or United Kingdom (AJACSSUK) visa or residence permit.

India is the 11th largest source of tourist arrivals for the Philippines, accounting for 85,885, or 1.64% of the total arrivals from the January-to-November 2025 period. — Almira Louise S. Martinez