Rwanda, Benin, Seychelles lead Africa in visa openness

A new report has revealed troubling statistics about the extent to which African countries remain closed to visitors from within the continent.

The Africa Visa Openness Report (AVOI), released by the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council and based on data collected between July and August 2024, reveals the bureaucratic and logistical challenges Africans face when traveling to other African countries.

The report categorises countries based on visa requirements: those requiring visas before travel, those offering visas on arrival, and those with visa-free entry.

It showed that despite ongoing efforts to promote free movement, many African countries continue to impose restrictive travel policies on fellow Africans.

Benin, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Rwanda ranked highest for visa openness, offering visa-free access to travelers from across the continent.

Ghana and Nigeria also made progress with more favorable visa policies.

In contrast, Sudan, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, South Sudan, and Egypt ranked lowest in visa openness, with Kenya also appearing among the bottom ten.

Despite the disparities, the report notes a positive trend.

Between 2016 and 2024, thirty-nine (39) African countries improved their visa policies. Notable progress was recorded in Benin, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and The Gambia.

Visa-free travel across the continent rose from 20 percent in 2016 to 28 percent in 2024—representing a 40 percent increase over nine years.

Sierra Leone and Angola showed significant gains, with Sierra Leone now offering visa-free access to 15 African countries, and Angola adding nine countries to its visa-free list.

African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina noted the contradiction in promoting borderless trade while restricting people’s movement.

“Apart from the fact that you need connectivity, you also need to have freedom for people to move from one place to the other,” he said.

The report also highlights progress in visa reforms and the growing adoption of Electronic Travel Authorisations (e-visas), which allow travelers to obtain pre-approval before departure.

Out of Africa’s 54 countries, 48 offer visa-free entry to at least one other African nation, while 27 provide visas on arrival to citizens of at least one African country.

Additionally, 33 countries allow visa-free travel to at least ten other African states, and 42 apply the same policy to five or more. Meanwhile, 12 countries offer visas on arrival to citizens from at least 35 African states and require pre-travel visas from only nine.

Despite these advancements, the report concludes that more needs to be done to realize the vision of a truly borderless Africa.