Where Does the Philippines Rank in the World's Most Powerful Passports 2024 List?
For the first time ever, six countries share the coveted title of having the world’s most powerful passport, according to the Henley Passport Index 2024. The six countries are France, Germany, Italy, and Spain (all members of the European Union) as well as Japan and Singapore, and all of them can visit 194 countries (out of a possible 227) visa-free.
In second place is a three-way tie between Finland, South Korea, and Sweden, with visa-free travel to 193 destinations, followed by four other European countries: Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands with 192.
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According to the 2024 list, which Henley published on Wednesday (January 10), the rest of the top 10 is dominated by European countries,. The United Kingdom climbed up two ranks to fourth place, along with the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, and Portugal, with visa-free access to 191 destinations compared to just 188 a year ago. Greece, Malta and Switzerland are at fifth place with 190; Australia, New Zealand, Czechia, and Poland are at sixth place with 189; Canada, Hungary, and the United States at seventh with 188; Estonia and Lithuania are tied at eighth with 187; Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia are at ninth place with 186; and Iceland is sol at 10th place with visa-free access to 185 countries.
The biggest climber in the rankings is the United Arab Emirates, whose citizens enjoy visa-free travel to 183 countries, up an impressive 106 destinations to climb 44 spots from its ranking of 55th in 2014 to 11th this year.
Meanwhile, also in the top five of most improved rankings over the past decade are Ukraine and China, with a net total gain of 21 places each. Ukraine is at 32nd place with 148 visa-free destinations, while China is 62nd with access to 85 destinations.
According to Henley, while Russia has seen a net gain of 24 destinations over the past decade, its visa-free score and ranking has barely shifted since 2017, and it now sits in 51st place with access to 119 destinations.
And what of the Philippines?
Philippines ranking in most powerful passports
According to this year’s Henley Passport Index Philippine passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 69 countries, good enough to rank at 73rd spot, and up two spots from last year’s ranking. We’re tied this year with Cape Verde and Uganda.
Where can you travel visa-free with a Philippine passport?
Here is a list of the countries you can travel visa-free with a Philippine passport as of 2024:
Armenia
Barbados
Bolivia
Brazil
Brunei
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde Islands
Colombia
Comoro Islands
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cote D’Ivoire
Djibouti
Dominica
Ethiopia
Fiji
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Iran
Israel
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Macau
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Micronesia
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Nicaragua
Niue
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Peru
Rwanda
Samoa
Senegal
Seychelles
Singapore
Somalia
Sri Lanka
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
The Gambia
Timor-Leste
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Vietnam
In Southeast Asia, the Philippines is ranked in the bottom half, with only Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar behind us in the rankings.
According to Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, although the general trend over the history of the 19-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than ever.
“The average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024,” Kaeiln says. “However, as we enter the new year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa.”
In its report, Henley & Partners also highlighted the unmistakable llink between visa-free access and economic progress by comparing key metrics. According to Prof. Trevor Williams, former Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank, the data contains “a treasure trove of insights into the possibilities for spreading economic progress worldwide. The overarching narrative that links greater economic performance with visa-free access and openness to international trade, investment, and the exchange of skills is once again powerfully highlighted, underpinned, and backed by the research shown in this year’s report.”
