Seychellois passport allows visa-free access to 156 destinations

According to the Henley & Partners 2024 ranking, Seychelles has the most influential passport among African countries.

The ranking, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), reflects the passport’s strength through visa-free entry privileges in various countries. Seychelles is ranked 26th globally, with visa-free access to 156 destinations. This represents an improvement of three positions compared to the 29th rank in 2023.

According to the ranking unveiled during the new year, Seychellois passport holders need to apply for visas for 70 destinations, including Canada, India, Japan and Iraq. The Henley & Partners ranking also includes Israel as a destination where Seychellois travellers require an entry visa, although this has changed since the signing of the visa exemption agreement between the two countries on January 11.

Ranking of countries in the Indian Ocean and Africa

From a regional perspective, Mauritius holds the 30th position, with visa-free access to 150 out of 226 destinations. The neighboring tourist destination was ranked 34th in 2023. Madagascar is ranked 82nd with 60 visa-free destinations.

It is worth noting that countries in continental Africa are ranked at the 53rd position or lower. South Africa enjoys visa-free access to 108 countries, while Botswana is ranked 59th. Lesotho and Namibia both rank 65th globally. Kenya and Malawi share the 67th position, while Tanzania holds the 69th position with visa-free access to 73 countries. Tanzania also completes the list of the top ten most powerful passports in Africa.