South Africa’s passport has fallen again in the most recent Henley and Partners World Passport Index, with the country now losing its previous visa-free access to Nigeria. South Africans now face yet another obstacle when trying to travel across Africa, tightening an already shrinking list of destinations.
Key Takeaways
- South Africa drops out of top 50 passports: The South African passport has slipped to 51st place on the Henley Passport Index, largely due to losing visa-free access to Nigeria, with holders now able to enter 103 countries without a visa.
- Stricter Nigerian entry requirements: Nigeria’s new e-Visa system and border controls have removed visa-free entry for South Africans, despite strong economic and cultural ties between the two nations, adding travel costs and delays.
- Poor global perception persists: In broader passport rankings, which factor in international perception, dual citizenship rights, and personal freedoms, South Africa remains low at 100th place, with little year-on-year improvement.
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Overview of the Henley Passport Index
The Henley Passport Index evaluates the travel freedoms of 199 national passports against 227 global destinations. A score of 1 is given when passport holders are permitted entry without a visa. The same score applies when a visa can be obtained on arrival, or when travellers are granted an electronic travel authority (ETA) or a visitor’s permit at the border.
When a visa or e-visa must be secured prior to departure, a score of 0 is recorded. This rule also covers cases where advance government approval is required to obtain a visa on arrival. This scoring system highlights how time-consuming and costly travel preparations can be for lower-ranking passport holders.
Top Global Rankings for Passport Strength
According to the latest index, Singapore continues to hold the number one spot, with visa-free access to 193 countries. Japan and South Korea follow closely, with access to 190 destinations without the need for a visa. This growing gap between Asia’s top passports and those from Africa points to a widening global travel inequality.
South Africa’s passport has once again dropped further down the rankings. At the start of 2025, the country was ranked 48th, but this soon fell to 50th, and now stands at 51st position. The slide reflects broader issues, including strained diplomatic ties and concerns around illegal migration.
Currently, South African passport holders are permitted entry to 103 countries without requiring a visa. This figure is down from 104 destinations in the previous update of the index.
Loss of Visa-Free Access to Nigeria
One of the more notable changes in this ranking is the loss of visa-free entry to Nigeria for South African citizens. This is significant given that South Africa and Nigeria represent two of Africa’s largest economies and share long-standing economic and cultural links.
The Nigerian community within South Africa remains substantial, while major South African corporations such as MTN have extensive operations in Nigeria. Industry leaders are concerned this visa change could hamper business mobility and cross-border collaboration, especially in key sectors such as telecoms and mining.
Nigeria Introduces New Visa System
In Nigeria, the latest immigration development is the rollout of electronic visas (e-Visas), as well as mandatory Landing and Exit Cards. The new system includes a barcode-enabled process designed to improve border management and data collection.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at curbing illegal movements and enhancing Nigeria’s national security controls. Nigerian authorities have also issued notices to airlines, warning them against transporting passengers who do not have the appropriate documentation.
South African travellers to Nigeria now face an extra layer of red tape that may cause delays and unexpected costs.
Although e-Visas are a simplified form of visa, they do not offer the same convenience as visa on arrival or true visa-free access, which is what the Henley Passport Index measures.
South Africa Falls Out of the World’s Top 50 Passports
Due to the reduction in visa-free access, South Africa has now slipped out of the top 50 most powerful passports worldwide. It currently ranks 51st, placing it between Qatar and Belize on the index. For South African travellers, this fall reflects not just fewer options but also a shift in how their passport is perceived globally.
Selected Rankings from the Henley Passport Index
| Rank | Country | Visa-Free Access |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 193 |
| 2 | Japan, South Korea | 190 |
| 3 | Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain | 189 |
| 49 | Türkiye, Russia | 114 |
| 50 | Qatar | 112 |
| 51 | South Africa | 103 |
| 52 | Belize | 102 |
| 53 | Kuwait | 98 |
| 102 | Syria | 27 |
| 103 | Afghanistan | 25 |
While South Africa’s position in the Henley & Partners index has dropped to 51st, the country’s passport still compares reasonably well by global standards. However, the stark differences seen across various international passport rankings highlight the limits of judging passport strength based solely on visa access.
Some global assessments use a broader range of criteria to evaluate passport value. These include not just visa-free travel, but also factors such as tax obligations for citizens, international reputation, dual citizenship rights, and personal freedoms.
In rankings that apply this more comprehensive approach, South Africa performs less favourably. The country faces ongoing challenges related to restricted travel access, mixed global perception, and regulatory limitations on personal mobility and citizenship flexibility.
Criteria Often Used in Broader Passport Assessments
- Visa-free travel (typically given the highest weight)
- Tax obligations for passport holders
- International perception of the passport
- The ability to hold dual citizenship
- Level of personal and civil freedom associated with the passport
South Africa’s performance on these criteria has seen slight improvement in some recent assessments, but its global position remains relatively low. Experts suggest that meaningful progress will depend on stronger diplomatic efforts and systemic reforms within key institutions, including the Department of Home Affairs.
Current Visa-Free or Visa-on-Arrival Destinations for South Africans
Below is a summary of the 103 destinations where South African passport holders can currently travel without needing a visa, or where a visa on arrival or electronic travel authorisation can be obtained. Frequent travellers now face growing concerns about future losses to this list as global mobility continues to tighten for South Africans.
| Region | Countries / Territories |
|---|---|
| Africa | Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Réunion, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, The Gambia, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Americas | Argentina, Belize, Bolivia (Visa on arrival/ETA), Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela |
| Asia | Cambodia (Visa on arrival/ETA), Hong Kong (SAR China), Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan (Visa on arrival/ETA), Laos (Visa on arrival/ETA), Malaysia, Maldives (Visa on arrival/ETA), Macao (SAR China), Nepal (Visa on arrival/ETA), Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka (Visa on arrival/ETA), Tajikistan (Visa on arrival/ETA), Thailand, Timor-Leste (Visa on arrival/ETA), South Korea (limited visa-free access)** |
| Caribbean | Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Helena (Visa on arrival/ETA), St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands |
| Europe | Georgia, Kosovo, Russian Federation |
| Middle East | Armenia (Visa on arrival/ETA), Iran (Visa on arrival/ETA), Israel, Jordan (Visa on arrival/ETA), Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Visa on arrival/ETA) |
| Oceania | Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands (Visa on arrival/ETA), Micronesia, Niue, Palau Islands (Visa on arrival/ETA), Samoa (Visa on arrival/ETA), Tuvalu (Visa on arrival/ETA), Vanuatu |
Conclusion
The latest drop in South Africa’s passport ranking signals growing challenges for citizens looking to travel internationally. The removal of visa-free access to Nigeria highlights increasing restrictions even within the African continent, raising concerns for business and tourism. Without stronger diplomatic engagement and reforms, South Africans may face further erosion in global travel freedoms.
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