Philippine Passport Ranking Moves Up In 2020

3 min read By eCompareMo on January 8, 2020

Do you know how many countries you can visit without a visa? The Henley Passport Index knows and ranks the world’s passports accordingly.

The most recent Henley Passport Index saw the Philippine passport level up from 77th last year to 76th now.

With 67 visa-free countries, the country now shares the same rank as the Central Asian country of Azerbaijan.

Kazakhstan, Senegal, and Barbados

So what changed in one year? Although the country lost visa-free access to Benin, the London-based consultancy firm reported that Filipinos can now book trips to Kazakhstan, Senegal, and Barbados without having to worry about acquiring a visa first.

Sri Lanka also changed its immigration policy for Philippine passport holders, we used to need to secure an electronic travel authority prior to flight now we are merely issued a visa on arrival.

(Read: DFA Passport Renewal Requirements And Other Things You Need To Know)

Japan still at the top spot

For three years now, Japan snagged the top spot by allowing its passport holders to book visa-free flights to 191 countries. Singapore followed suit with 190 visa-free countries and South Korea with 189 countries.

On the flipside, Afghanistan ranked the lowest with 26 visa-free countries, followed by Iraq (28 countries), and Syria (29 countries).

Asian countries dominate the index

Although the Philippines received a status improvement, our passport is still no match to some of our regional neighbors. Apart from Singapore, other better faring ASEAN countries include Malaysia (13th), Brunei (23rd), Thailand (65th), and Indonesia (72nd).

In a statement by Henley & Partners chairman Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, he said that Asian countries becoming more diplomatically open to other countries sustain the dominance of the continent in terms of visa-free privileges.

“Asian countries’ dominance of the top spots is a clear argument for the benefits of open-door policies and the introduction of mutually beneficial trade agreements,” Kaelin said.

“Over the past few years, we have seen the world adapt to mobility as a permanent condition of global life. The latest rankings show that the countries that embrace this reality are thriving, with their citizens enjoying ever-increasing passport power and the array of benefits that come with it,” he added.

The other benefits of visa-free

The Henley Passport Index, which started in 2006, states that countries with more visa-free privileges enjoy benefits beyond unrestricted travel. The company “found that there is a strongly positive correlation between travel freedom and other kinds of liberties – from the economic to the political, and even individual or human freedoms.”

“There’s a distinct correlation between visa freedom and investment freedom, for instance. Similar to trade freedom, countries that rank highly in investment freedom generally have stronger passports. European states such as Austria, Malta, and Switzerland clearly show that countries with a business-friendly environment tend to score highly when it comes to passport power,” the company said in a press release.

(Read: Citizens Of These Countries Need A Visa To Enter The Philippines)

Visa-free countries for Filipinos

Planning an overseas trip this year? Here are the countries that you can access without visa using your Philippine passport, fresh from Henley & Partners website.

Asia

1. Brunei

2. Cambodia

3. Hong Kong (SAR China)

4. Indonesia

5. Kazakhstan

6. Kyrgyzstan *

7. Laos

8. Macao (SAR China)

9. Malaysia

10. Maldives *

11. Mongolia

12. Myanmar

13. Nepal *

14. Singapore

15. Sri Lanka **

16. Taiwan

17. Tajikistan *

18. Thailand

19. Timor-Leste *

20. Vietnam

Africa

21. Cape Verde Islands *

22. Comores Islands *

23. Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

24. Gambia

25. Guinea-Bissau *

26. Kenya *

27. Madagascar *

28. Malawi *

29. Mauritania *

30. Mauritius *

31. Morocco

32. Mozambique *

33. Rwanda

34. Senegal

35. Seychelles *

36. Somalia *

37. Tanzania *

38. Togo *

39. Uganda *

Oceania

40. Cook Islands

41. Fiji

42. Marshall Islands *

43. Micronesia

44. Niue

45. Palau Islands *

46. Papua New Guinea *

47. Samoa *

48. Tuvalu *

49. Vanuatu

Caribbean

50. Barbados

51. Dominica

52. Haiti

53. St. Lucia *

54. St. Vincent and the Grenadines

55. Trinidad and Tobago *

South America

56. Bolivia

57. Brazil

58. Colombia

59. Costa Rica

60. Ecuador

61. Nicaragua *

62. Peru

63. Suriname

Middle East

64. Armenia *

65. Iran *

66. Israel

67. Palestinian Territory

Note: * Visa upon arrival, ** electronic travel authority (eTA)