Philippine Passport Drops to 79th as U.S. Falls Out of Top 10

The Philippine passport has fallen to 79th place in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, dropping from 72nd earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the U.S. passport has officially fallen out of the global top 10 for the first time in years, marking a surprising shift in the world’s most powerful passports list.

According to Henley & Partners, the Philippines now enjoys visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 70 destinations, while top-ranking countries such as France, Germany, and Italy can visit over 190 destinations without a visa.

The drop doesn’t mean the PH passport suddenly became weaker. Instead, other countries gained new visa-free agreements that pushed the Philippines down the list.

In short, we didn’t lose ground. Others just moved faster.

Experts note that the Philippines has been working to expand its visa-free access, especially with ASEAN and Asian neighbours, but negotiations take time.

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For the first time in 20 years, the United States has fallen out of the top 10, dropping to 12th place (tied with Malaysia) with visa-free access to 180 destinations.

That’s a long way from 2014, when the U.S. held the No. 1 spot. Experts say this decline reflects tighter travel policies and fewer reciprocal agreements with other countries. For example, Brazil recently brought back visa requirements for U.S. citizens, while China and Vietnam added visa-free access for European travellers but left the U.S. out.

Also read: PH Travellers Safe from New US Visa Bond Rule

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Here’s the updated 2025 leaderboard from the Henley Passport Index:

1. Singapore – 193 countries

2. Japan – 193 countries

3. Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain – 190 to 189 countries

4. Luxembourg, Switzerland – 188 countries

5. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands – 187 countries

6. Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary – 186 countries

7. Australia, Czech Republic, Malta, Poland – 185 countries

8. Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, UAE, UK – 184 countries

9. Canada – 183 countries

10. Latvia, Liechtenstein – 182 countries

At the very top, Singapore keeps its crown as the world’s most powerful passport for the second year in a row, giving its citizens visa-free access to 193 destinations.

Also read: Riza Rasco Completes 203 Countries with North Korea as Her Final Stop

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Also read: How I Spent 3 Days in Singapore For Less Than ₱6,000

Even at 79th, the Philippine passport still opens doors to 70 or more countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival, including most of Southeast Asia, parts of South America, and select European destinations.

More importantly, the Department of Foreign Affairs has been modernising its e-passport system and improving consular services, laying the groundwork for future visa-free agreements.

This might just be a temporary dip before another climb.

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