The Philippine passport ranks #61 worldwide and reaches 66 destinations without a visa in advance. For a country that sends millions of workers and travellers abroad every year, that number does a lot of damage to ordinary plans — a conference in Frankfurt, a client meeting in London, a family holiday in Tokyo.
This article sets out what a Grenadian second citizenship changes for a Filipino holder, what it does not change, and where the Philippine passport is actually the better document.
The gap, in specific destinations
Here is how the two passports compare on the routes Filipino travellers ask about most:
| Destination | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 🇬🇩 Grenada |
|---|---|---|
| Germany, France (Schengen) | Visa required | Visa-free |
| United Kingdom | Visa required | eTA — online |
| Russia | e-visa | Visa-free |
| China | Visa required | Visa-free |
| Singapore | Visa-free | Visa-free |
| Japan | Visa required | Visa required |
| United States | Visa required | Visa required |
Two things stand out.
Schengen is the real prize. A Schengen visa application from Manila means an appointment queue, bank statements, employment certificates, travel insurance, and a refusal risk you cannot control. A Grenadian passport removes that entire process for 29 European countries.
China is a bigger deal than it looks. Grenada has visa-free access to mainland China; the Philippines does not. For anyone doing business across the region, that difference is worth more than a holiday.
Where Grenada is not better
Japan. A Philippine passport needs a visa for Japan — but so does a Grenadian one. Adding Grenada does not solve Japan.
The United States. Grenada does not give visa-free entry to the US either. What it gives is something different, and more valuable, which is the next section.
Be sceptical of anyone who tells you a Caribbean passport opens everything. It opens Europe. It does not open Asia uniformly.
The E-2 route: the reason most applicants are actually here
Grenada holds a commerce treaty with the United States. Grenadian citizens may apply for the E-2 Investor Visa, which permits the holder to live in the US while running a genuine business there. Spouses can apply for work authorisation; children can attend school.
The Philippines has no such treaty. A Filipino national cannot apply for E-2 on a Philippine passport — full stop. Acquiring Grenadian citizenship is the standard route.
What the E-2 is not. It is a non-immigrant visa. It requires a real, operating business — not a shell — and periodic renewal. It is not a green card and does not lead to one by itself. Anyone whose objective is permanent US residence should evaluate EB-5 alongside it, not instead of reading this.
Dual citizenship: the Philippine position
This matters, and it is worth stating precisely.
Under Republic Act 9225, natural-born Filipinos who acquire foreign citizenship through naturalisation may retain or re-acquire Philippine citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance. In practice, Filipinos hold second citizenships routinely and lawfully.
Grenada, for its part, places no restriction on dual citizenship.
This is a genuinely favourable position, and it is not universal — several countries in the region strip citizenship automatically on naturalisation abroad. Confirm your own status with Philippine counsel before filing anything; RA 9225 procedure differs depending on whether you are retaining or re-acquiring.
What the application involves
Grenada's programme sets these baseline requirements:
- Main applicant aged 18 or over
- Clean criminal record
- Passing due diligence — source of funds is examined
- A qualifying investment in a government-approved project
Dependants may include a spouse, children, and dependent parents or grandparents. Processing typically runs 4–6 months.
The Grenadian passport itself ranks #15, with 146 destinations on the published count.
The investment
The lowest qualifying entry into the largest approved project, Grenada National Resort, is a USD 270,000 resort share. The share pays an annual return for five years from the year after the resort opens, and can be resold once the Investment Migration Agency's conditions are met.
The alternative is freehold property — an apartment or villa with 100% permanent ownership, higher outlay, and resale permitted under IMA conditions.
The project's first hotel tower has topped out, with Grenada's Prime Minister and the IMA in attendance.
Grenada National Resort by HSG International — full project analysis →
Before you decide
Programme terms are set by the Government of Grenada and have been revised more than once in the past two years across the Caribbean. Minimum thresholds have risen, not fallen.
Take independent legal and tax advice on your Philippine obligations, and confirm the current investment threshold before budgeting.
Viking Global Group (ARB Vietnam) is a strategic distribution partner for Grenada National Resort. Contact the advisory team for a free assessment against your family's circumstances.