Lifestyle

South Africans can now visit 101 countries visa-free in 2026 – losing access to 5 destinations

Malcolm Libera

 ·15 Jan 2026

South Africans can travel to 101 countries without needing a visa in 2026, marking a decline in global mobility compared to the previous year.

In 2025, South African passport holders enjoyed visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 106 destinations, meaning access to five countries has been lost over the past year.

The Henley Passport Index is widely regarded as the most authoritative global ranking of passport strength.

It assesses 199 passports against 227 travel destinations worldwide, measuring how freely citizens can move across borders.

A destination scores a value of one if a traveller does not require a visa in advance, including cases where a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority is issued at entry.

If a traveller must apply for a visa or receive government-approved clearance before departure, that destination scores zero.

A passport’s overall score is simply the total number of destinations that receive a score of one.

The index is built using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), which is then rigorously verified by Henley & Partners’ research team. 

Each passport is continuously cross-checked against all possible destinations using government sources and major news outlets, allowing the rankings to reflect ongoing changes in visa policies throughout the year.

In the 2026 rankings, South Africa’s passport is placed 48th globally, positioning it between Qatar and Belize. 

While this places South Africa solidly in the middle of the global rankings, it remains far behind the world’s strongest passports. 

Singapore once again tops the index, offering its citizens visa-free access to 192 destinations.

The drop in South Africa’s score is the result of losing visa-free access to five countries since last year.

These include Mauritania and Nigeria in Africa, Pakistan in Asia, Kosovo in Europe, and Palestine in the Middle East.

Visa-free countries

Despite this decline, South Africans still enjoy relatively broad access, particularly across Africa, South America, and parts of Asia.

Popular leisure destinations such as Mauritius, Thailand, and Brazil remain visa-free, making them attractive options for holidaymakers. 

Several important business and transit hubs, including Singapore, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, also continue to allow South Africans to enter without a visa.

One notable inclusion on the visa-free list is Israel. This remains the case despite South Africa’s decision in 2024 to bring a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

All the countries to which South Africans have visa-free access are listed below, with those lost over the past year in bold. 

Africa

Americas 

Asia

Caribbean

Europe

Middle East 

Oceania 

Note: *visa on arrival; **eTA [electronic travel authorisation]