Bad news for South African passport holders

South Africa’s passport has dropped in the latest Henley and Partners World Rankings, with the country losing visa-free access to Nigeria.

The Henley Passport Index compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations.

When no visa is required, a score of 1 is given to the passport. This also applies to those who can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA), a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the country.

If a visa or e-visa is required before departure, a score of 0 is assigned. This also applies to those who need pre-departure government approval for a visa on arrival.

Overall, Singapore has the best passport in the world, allowing for access to 193 countries without a visa. Japan and South Korea follow with visa-free access to 190 countries.

South Africa has dropped further down the rankings. Since the start of the year, South Africa has fallen from 48 to 50 and now 51.

South African passport holders can currently enter 103 countries without a passport, a drop from 104 in the previous ranking.

Notably, South Africa has lost visa-free access to Nigeria. This is notable as South Africa and Nigeria are two of the largest economies in Africa and have had strong cultural and economic ties.

There is a large Nigerian diaspora in South Africa, while several South African companies have significant presences in Nigeria, especially MTN.

The latest visa development in Nigeria is the launch of e-Visas, Landing, and Exit Cards. This is a new barcode-enabled system that aims to strengthen border control and data intelligence in the country.

It forms part of a wider push to clamp down on illicit travel and to strengthen Nigeria’s national security, it said. The country has warned airlines against bringing passengers without valid documentation.

E-visas are easier-access visas, but not as easy as visa on arrival or visa-free access, which the H&P index covers.

With the drop in visa-free access, South Africa has now also dropped out of the top 50 passports in the world, and is placed between Qatar and Belize.

Changes in the system

Although South African passports have dropped in the Henley and Partners’ Index rankings, the 51st position is much better than the Nomad Capitalist’s rankings, where South Africa came 100th.

Nomad Capitalist is a tax and immigration consultancy, and its rankings reveal that South Africans face severely limited visa-free travel, a poor global perception and limited freedoms.

Nomad Capitalist’s rankings go beyond visa-free access and look at five essential aspects of passport strength:

• Visa-Free travel (50%)
• Taxation (20%)
• Global perception (10%)
• Ability to hold dual citizenship (10%) and
• Personal freedom (10%)

South Africa tied with Ecuador in the rankings, with a total score of 68.50. This is well below Ireland, which scored 109.0, and has the strongest passport in the world.

South Africa’s overall score did improve from 67 in 2024, but this was not enough to change its position in Nomad Capitalist’s ranking.

The 103 countries where South Africans don’t need a visa

* Visa on Arrival/ETA

Americas 

Asia

Caribbean

Europe

Middle East 

Oceania