Top 10 visa-friendly African countries in 2022
Business Insider Africa presents 10 African countries with the highest visa openness index.
Out of the 54 African countries, 48 now grant visa-free travel to the citizens of at least one other African nation.
The list is courtesy of Africa Visa Openness Index.
For far too long, intercontinental travel within the African continent has been marred by a myriad of challenges, the foremost of which was the restrictive visa policies that made crossing borders a cumbersome and often frustrating experience.
The situation even got worse amid the uncertainties of the COVID-19 crisis. Every country seemed to have its own rules, from shutting borders completely to making people do quarantine and burdensome checks. This didn't just mess up people's travel plans, it also put a big stop sign in front of the free flow of ideas, business, and culture.
But lately, things are looking up. There has been a remarkable shift in the policies of many African nations, a shift that is increasingly aligning with the vision of a united and economically vibrant Africa.
The Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) did a deep dive into visa rules, and it's clear that things are getting better. More countries are saying "come on in" instead of "stay out." Kenya recently announced plans to remove visa requirements for all Africans.
As the AVOI 2022 report shows, African countries are dismantling many of the measures imposed during the pandemic. Indeed, on the whole, the continent has returned to a level of visa openness last seen just before the pandemic began.
Out of the 54 African countries, 48 now grant visa-free travel to the citizens of at least one other African nation. In addition, 42 of these countries provide visa-free access to citizens from at least five other African nations.
However, just three African countries extend the privilege of visa-free travel to all citizens of other African nations.
Here is a list of 10 African countries with the highest visa openness index:
Rank Country No visa required Visa on arrival Visa required Score
1 Benin 53 0 0 1.000
2 Seychelles 53 0 0 1.000
3 The Gambia 53 0 0 1.000
4 Ghana 26 26 1 0.883
5 Rwanda 18 35 0 0.868
6 Nigeria 17 36 0 0.864
7 Guinea-Bissau 13 40 0 0.849
8 Cabo Verde 16 36 1 0.845
9 Togo 14 38 1 0.838
10 Mauritania 8 45 0 0.830
by Adekunle Agbetiloye
ADEKUNLE AGBETILOYE
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