Charts / Technology
Seychelles holds Africa's most powerful passport
Two Indian Ocean island nations give their citizens visa-free reach that dwarfs the rest of the continent.
Updated 2026 · Data year 2026
Figure 1
Two Indian Ocean island nations give their citizens visa-free reach that dwarfs the rest of the continent.
154
Seychelles · dest
Source: Henley & Partners · 2026 · Henley Passport Index 2026 (January) 'access' score: destinations a holder can enter visa-free, visa-on-arrival or with an ETA, out of 227.
Seychelles leads Africa with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 154 destinations, ranking 24th worldwide, with Mauritius next at 147 (27th globally) [S1]. South Africa is the strongest mainland passport at 101 destinations, yet it trails Seychelles by 53 [S1]. Below the top three, most ranked African passports cluster between about 69 and 81 destinations, far from the global leader Singapore at 192 [S1].
Takeaways
- Seychelles reaches 154 destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival, Africa's highest and 24th worldwide.
- Mauritius is second at 147; South Africa third at 101.
- A 53-destination gap separates South Africa from top-ranked Seychelles.
- Most other ranked African passports fall between 69 and 81 destinations.
- Top-ranked Singapore reaches 192 destinations on the same index.
Countries in this chart
Sources
- TIER A Henley & Partners, Henley Passport Index — Global Passport Ranking 2026 (January) (2026). https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking
January 2026 access scores: Seychelles 154 (24th), Mauritius 147 (27th), South Africa 101 (48th), Botswana 81 (59th), Namibia 76 (62nd), Lesotho 74 (63rd), Morocco 72 (65th), Eswatini 72 (65th), Malawi 71 (66th), Kenya 69 (68th), Gambia 69 (68th); Singapore 192 (1st).