Seychelles holds the title of the strongest passport in Africa for 2025, granting its holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 156 countries, ranking 25th globally.
- Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 most powerful passports in Africa in 2025.
- The list is courtesy of Henley & Partners’ passport index.
- In Africa, Seychelles holds the title of the strongest passport for 2025, granting its holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 156 countries, ranking 25th globally.
When it comes to traveling the world, a powerful passport can open doors and make global exploration much easier. Globally, some countries offer their citizens stronger passports than others, providing greater freedom to travel without the hassle of securing visas.
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According to the 2025 Henley Passport Index, which ranks the world’s 199 passports based on the number of destinations they offer visa-free access to, Singapore has reclaimed its title as the world’s most powerful passport. It grants holders visa-free access to 195 out of 227 global destinations.
The rest of the index’s Top 10 is largely dominated by European countries, except for Australia (6th place with 189 destinations), Canada (7th place with 188 destinations), the US (9th place with 186 destinations), and the UAE, the first and only Arab state to ever make it into the upper echelons of the rankings.
In Africa, Seychelles holds the title of the strongest passport for 2025, granting its holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 156 countries, ranking 25th globally.
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Mauritius follows in second place with access to 151 countries, securing the 29th spot worldwide. South Africa ranks third in Africa, with its passport providing access to 106 countries and placing 48th globally.
Compared to the same period last year, much of the list remains unchanged.
Even the rankings remain the same barring the exlusion of Tanzania in 10th place last year, in place of Morocco in the same spot this year.
Furthermore, Namibia and Lesotho switched places between the 5th and 6th position, with Namibia ousting Lesotho from the 5th position.
Similarly, Malawi and Kenya switched between 8th and 9th position, with Malawi being 8th this year as opposed to being 9th last year.
Other than these minute changes, most of the rankings in the top 10 from last year’s list remain unchanged.
Below are the top 10 most powerful passports in Africa in 2025:
| Rank | Passport | Access (countries) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seychelles | 156 | 25th |
| 2 | Mauritius | 151 | 29th |
| 3 | South Africa | 106 | 48th |
| 4 | Botswana | 88 | 57th |
| 5 | Namibia | 81 | 62nd |
| 6 | Lesotho | 79 | 64th |
| 7 | eSwatini | 77 | 65th |
| 8 | Malawi | 75 | 67th |
| 9 | Kenya | 74 | 68th |
| 10 | Morocco | 73 | 69th |
| Tanzania | 73 | 69th |
