By Gabriela Baron
There are 23 countries issuing eVisas to Philippine passport holders, based on the January 2023 Visa Guide Passport Index.
These countries are: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Moldova, Montserrat, Oman, Qatar, Russia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The process of getting an eVisa is more or less same as applying for a traditional visa, however, in this case, Philippine passport holders don’t have to visit a visa application center.
Applications can be done online, including the visa payment.
Once the application is approved, Philippine passport holders will receive an email confirming their visa status along with a document they must print out and bring when they cross the border.
Meanwhile, Filipino passport holders can travel visa free to 38 countries and territories, including Southeast Asian countries, Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong, Israel, Taiwan, and Morocco.
There are also 29 countries that issue Visa on Arrival (VOA) to Filipino passport holders, among them are Armenia, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Somalia, Timor-Leste, and Uganda.
For VOA, there is usually a separate section at the airport where they can submit their applications.
According to the 2023 Henley Passport Index, the Philippine passport is ranked as 75th in the “most powerful” passport in the world. –ag
