This African Country Has The Most Powerful Passport On The Continent

While Asia continues to outshine other continents on the world stage for the most powerful passports, African countries seemed more relegated to the behind positions.

Japan – for the third time – is the country with the strongest, according to exclusive data from the 2020 Henley Passport Index. Closely following is Singapore, holding on to its second place. 

The opposite end of the index shows African and Middle Eastern nations in omnipresence. An interesting finding in the report is the general decline in the value of African passports in the past 10 years.

The ranking is based on the passports’ total visa-free score and data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 

While the decline is blamed on conflict and political instability, Seychelles emerged as the African country with the most powerful passport on the continent.

The ranking, more interestingly, remains unchanged, especially as Mauritius and South Africa retain their second and third respective positions on the index. 

Last year, Seychelles was also rated as the most powerful country in Africa. It was ranked in category 23 on the world list and has a mobility score of 137. It’s visa-free access is to 104 countries, Visa on arrival: 33, and Visa required: 61.

On the flipside of the conundrum, Somalia is the African country with the weakest passports. The East African nation occupies the bottom position alongside Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan. They round the last five passports in terms of access, each offering holders entry to fewer than three dozen destinations around the world. 

Here is the list of strongest passports in Africa, from least to most:

• Somalia

Global ranking: 104

Visa-free access to no country.

• Libya

Global ranking: 102

Visa-free access to 37 countries.

•  Sudan

Global ranking: 100

Visa-free access to no country.

• Eritrea

Global ranking: 98

Visa-free access to no country

• Congo (Dem Republic)

Global ranking: 98

Visa-free access to no country.

• South Sudan

Global ranking: 96

Visa-free access to no country.

• Ethiopia

Global ranking: 96

Visa-free access to 43 countries.

• Nigeria

Global ranking: 95

Visa-free access to no country.

• Djibouti

Global ranking: 95

Visa-free access to 46 countries.

• Congo (Rep)

Global ranking: 94

Visa-free access to 47 countries.

•  Liberia

Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to no country.

•  Egypt

Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to no country

• Cameroon

Global ranking : 93

Visa-free access to no country.

•  Burundi

Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to no country.

• Angola

Global ranking: 93

Visa-free access to 49 countries.

Image: Seychelles New Agency