Philippine passport climbs to 72nd in 2026 Henley Index, adding more visa-free access but still trailing pre-pandemic peak

Manila: After years of fluctuating fortunes, the Philippine passport is showing signs of recovery.

The latest Henley Passport Index places the Philippines 72nd in the world in 2026, its highest position since before the pandemic and a modest improvement from 75th last year.

This year's ranking suggests that the Philippines is moving in the right direction.

Filipino passport holders can now enter 65 destinations — without obtaining a visa in advance, up by one from the previous ranking, as per the H&P index.

This is welcome news for millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), business travelers, students and tourists.

The broader picture is more complicated.

The historical rankings tell the story of a passport that has risen, stumbled and risen again — mirroring the country's changing diplomatic fortunes and the disruptions of a world reshaped by pandemics, geopolitics and increasingly unequal access to mobility.

According to the H&P historical data, the Philippines ranked 63rd in 2006 before improving to 62nd between 2007-2009, its highest standing on the H&P scale so far.

The country's standing then declined during the following decade, slipping to 80th in 2015 before recovering to 76th in 2014 and later settling into the mid-70s.

The sharpest setback came in 2021, when the Philippine passport dropped to 83rd, reflecting the global upheaval caused by COVID-19, border closures and prolonged travel restrictions.

Since then, the trajectory has gradually turned upward:

The latest ranking places the Philippines 10 notches ahead of its pandemic-era low (83rd in 2021), though still well below its best performance (62nd from 2007-2009) nearly two decades ago.

The improvement in 2026 reflects incremental gains in diplomatic engagement and visa arrangements rather than a dramatic expansion of travel freedoms.

Henley & Partners, which compiles the index using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, says passport strength increasingly reflects a country's geopolitical influence.

"The world's strongest passports belong to nations that other countries want as partners — for trade, investment, security or cooperation," said Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners.

That helps explain why some countries have surged while others have struggled.

No country illustrates that transformation better than the United Arab Emirates, which has added more than 150 visa-free destinations since 2006 through an aggressive diplomatic campaign and reciprocal visa agreements.

Today, it shares second place globally alongside Japan and South Korea, while Singapore remains the world's most powerful passport with access to 192 destinations.

For the Philippines, the gains have been more measured.

Expanding visa-free access depends less on tourism than on broader foreign policy objectives, including stronger bilateral relations, improved border security, economic partnerships and mutual trust between governments.

The report also underscores a widening inequality in global mobility.

In 2006, the difference between the world's strongest and weakest passports amounted to 118 destinations.

Twenty years later, that gap has grown to 170 destinations — the widest ever recorded.

Singaporeans can travel to 192 destinations without obtaining a visa beforehand, while Afghan passport holders have access to just 22.

The growing divide highlights an often-overlooked reality of globalisation: while international travel has become easier for citizens of the world's wealthiest and most diplomatically connected nations, millions of others continue to face significant barriers at international borders.

For Filipinos, the move to 72nd is a reminder that passport power is rarely transformed overnight. It is built gradually — through diplomacy, economic credibility, security cooperation and the trust that countries place in one another.

The challenge now is whether this momentum can be sustained an increasingly competitive world where access across borders has become another measure of global influence.