Spanish
Santo Domingo,.- Dominican Republic improved "significantly" its passport in the Henley Index 2025, climbing nine positions in the global ranking that measures the travel freedom of citizens, reaching position 67, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 70 international destinations.
“The progress comes after the intervention of the Zero Bureaucracy program. The efficiency achieved in the issuance of passports has directly contributed to this improvement, marking a change in trend after years of stagnation. The ranking had remained unchanged since 2017”, said the spokesman for the Presidency, Homero Figueroa, in a note.
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The Henley Passport Index, compiled by the global consultancy Henley & Partners, ranks passports according to the number of destinations that can be traveled to without a prior visa. The improvement in the position of the Dominican Republic reflects institutional strengthening, greater international confidence, and advances in public management, particularly in consular and documentation services, Figueroa highlighted. He explained that this index is highly relevant for four fundamental reasons, one of which is that a passport with greater visa-free access is a sign of diplomatic trust, political stability, and international security. A country's position in this index is also a reflection of its reputation in the international community. Likewise, it means that greater visa-free access represents more opportunities to study, work, do business, or simply travel without bureaucracy. For Dominicans, an improvement in the index represents greater ease in entering the global world. It is also translated, in that a country with citizens who can move freely inspires confidence and facilitates commercial and personal exchanges. In a final opinion, Figueroa stated that the increase (or decrease) in the number of countries accessible without a visa reflects the success or setback in bilateral relations, diplomatic treaties, and international cooperation. He highlighted that this progress represents a new positive trend for the country, after more than seven years without improvements in this indicator.
