Only Four African Countries Are Offering Visa-Free Entrance to All Africans

The Republic of Benin, Seychelles, Gambia and Rwanda are currently the only four African countries offering visa-free access to all Africans. There has been a slight uptick in the last eight years, with Benin and Gambia granting Africans easier entry into their borders in that timeframe.

According to the new Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI), only 28 percent of intra-African travel is visa-free, while visa-on-arrival travel accounts for 25 percent. A significant 47 percent of travel within the continent requires obtaining a visa through the e-visa process or applying at local embassies. The use of e-visas has grown from just under 10 countries to 26 African countries now offering e-visas.

Apart from the four visa-free countries, 16 countries rank in the top 20 of the AVOI, with more than half of African travelers either allowed in visa-free or issued a visa on arrival. For example, Cape Verde offers visas on arrival to citizens of 36 countries while allowing Africans from 17 countries to enter the country visa-free. Mauritius requires a visa for citizens of 5 countries and allows 27 countries visa-free access and visa-on-arrival for 21 countries.

Eight of the 20 countries at the top of the index are from West and East Africa. Eight Southern African countries are represented, while Mauritania is the only North African country, as it offers visa-on-arrival for most African countries.

Generally, traveling across Africa for Africans is restrictive, with citizens of all countries requiring visas to go to at least 19 countries, with some countries needing visas for more than half the countries in Africa. For example, Somalians need visas to travel to 38 countries and can only enter 4 countries visa-free, while citizens of Libya, Sudan and Egypt need visas to 33, 35 and 32 countries, respectively. Ghanaians need visas in 19 countries. Other Africans need visas to travel to more than 20 countries.