The Philippine passport has climbed three places in the latest Henley Passport Index, rising from 75th in 2025 to 72nd in the second 2026 edition of the global ranking.
Released on 21 July to mark the index’s 20th anniversary, the Henley Passport Index ranks passports according to the number of destinations their holders can enter without a visa or by obtaining a visa on arrival. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is updated regularly as countries revise their visa policies.
The latest index places the Philippines alongside Benin and Uganda in 72nd place. Filipino passport holders can now travel to 65 destinations without requiring a visa in advance or by obtaining a visa on arrival.
Although the improvement is modest, it marks continued recovery for the Philippine passport after reaching its lowest position of 83rd in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, the country’s strongest performance was between 2007 and 2009, when it ranked 62nd globally.
Singapore retained its position as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 192 destinations. The United Arab Emirates recorded the biggest improvement since the January 2026 edition, climbing three places to join Japan and South Korea in second place with access to 188 destinations.
The United Kingdom moved up one position to sixth after securing visa-free access to China and Malawi, while Canada rose to seventh following similar gains. The United States remained in 10th place and continues to be one of the few top-ranked passports whose citizens still require a visa to enter China.
At the bottom of the rankings were Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
Philippines remains seventh strongest passport in Southeast Asia
Within Southeast Asia, the Philippines ranks seventh, behind Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Timor-Leste, Thailand and Indonesia.
After Singapore’s top position, Malaysia placed seventh globally with visa-free access to 183 destinations. Brunei ranked 19th, Timor-Leste 52nd, Thailand 63rd and Indonesia 68th.
The Philippines placed ahead of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, which ranked 87th, 88th, 89th and 91st respectively.
While the country’s passport remains in the middle of the global rankings, its gradual improvement reflects a steady recovery in international mobility following the pandemic years.
Why passport rankings matter
According to Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index, passport strength represents much more than the ease of international travel.
“20 years of data show that passport power is one of the clearest expressions of a country’s geopolitical capital. It reflects far more than peace or prosperity alone.”
