International travel continues to become more accessible for holders of some African passports, with countries across the continent taking steps to reduce visa barriers and improve the movement of people. The African Union has long promoted the idea of an African passport and greater freedom for Africans to travel, work and live across the continent. This push for easier movement has led to various developments, including new policies and regional agreements.
The latest Passport Index rankings place Seychelles, Mauritius and South Africa at the top of the African table, with Mobility Scores of 147, 140 and 108 respectively. Their positions reflect the number of destinations their citizens can access without obtaining a traditional visa in advance, including visa-free and visa-on-arrival arrangements. Globally, the United Arab Emirates remains at the top of the Passport Index with a Mobility Score of 182.
For African travellers, passport strength is also closely linked to the continent's wider push for easier movement. The African Union's Free Movement of Persons agenda is intended to remove restrictions on movement and support deeper continental integration. Recent developments have added momentum to that effort, including Ghana's free-visa policy for all African nationals, effective May 25, 2026.
Ghana's policy allows African travellers to apply for e-visas without a visa fee, forming part of the country's wider efforts to make travel, tourism, investment and business easier for Africans visiting the country. The Republic of the Congo has also announced that it will remove visa requirements for nationals of all African countries from January 1, 2027.
Despite these developments, visa-free movement remains uneven across Africa. The African Development Bank and African Union reported in 2026 that only 28.2% of intra-African travel was visa-free, highlighting the gap between the continent's integration ambitions and the current experience of travellers. However, 48 of Africa's 54 countries offer visa-free travel to nationals of at least one other African country.
Regional blocs have also helped improve mobility, with ECOWAS having one of Africa's more established free-movement systems. Discussions in 2026 have continued to examine how experiences from West Africa and other regional blocs can support implementation of the African Union's wider free-movement agenda.
The Passport Index rankings provide more than a measure of how easily citizens can enter foreign countries. They also offer a snapshot of changing travel opportunities for Africans as governments introduce visa waivers, e-visa systems and other measures designed to reduce barriers to movement.
Key points
- Seychelles has Africa’s highest-ranked passport with a Mobility Score of 147.
- Only 28.2% of intra-African travel is currently visa-free.
- Ghana and Republic of Congo have introduced policies to ease travel restrictions for African nationals.
