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Full list of strongest passports in Africa as Nigeria drops to 45th, 90th globally

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Nigeria has slipped to 90th position on the latest Henley Passport Index, with holders of the Nigerian passport able to access 44 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance.

The July 2026 global ranking, released by Henley & Partners on Tuesday, ranked the Nigerian passport 90th out of 199 passports assessed worldwide, with a visa-free score of 44.

The new ranking marks a one-place drop from the 89th position Nigeria occupied in the April 2026 edition of the index, while the country’s visa-free score remained unchanged at 44 destinations.

In a statement on its website on Tuesday, Henley & Partners said the index, released on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a prior visa.

It added that the ranking covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations using data from the International Air Transport Association.

Among African countries, South Africa retained the continent’s strongest passport, ranking 49th globally with visa-free access to 101 destinations.

Botswana followed in 61st place with access to 81 destinations, while Ghana ranked 70th with a visa-free score of 67. Morocco placed 67th with 71 destinations, while Kenya shared the 68th position with 70 destinations.

Nigeria ranked alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan, each with visa-free access to 44 destinations.

Globally, Singapore retained the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations.

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Japan ranked second with access to 188 destinations, while South Korea and the United Arab Emirates shared third place with 187 destinations.

The United States of America sits disappointingly at 10th position with 180 destinations.

At the bottom of the ranking, Afghanistan remained the world’s weakest passport, with visa-free access to just 22 destinations.

Syria ranked 103rd with access to 25 destinations, while Iraq placed 102nd with 28 destinations.

The latest ranking comes months after Nigeria climbed six places on the Henley Passport Index between January 2024 and April 2026, rising from 95th to 89th despite its visa-free access falling from 45 to 44 destinations.

According to Henley’s April 2026 report, Nigeria lost visa-free access to countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe and Somalia over recent years, although it gained access to several Pacific island destinations.

FULL LIST: 2026 Henley Passport Index rankings

Rank Country/Passport Visa-free score
1 Singapore 192
2 Japan 188
3 South Korea 187
3 United Arab Emirates 187
3 Sweden 187
4 Belgium 186
4 Denmark 186
4 Finland 186
4 France 186
4 Germany 186
4 Ireland 186
4 Italy 186
4 Luxembourg 186
4 Netherlands 186
4 Norway 186
4 Spain 186
5 Austria 185
5 Greece 185
5 Malta 185
5 Portugal 185
5 Switzerland 185
6 Hungary 184
6 Poland 184
6 United Kingdom 184
7 Australia 183
7 Canada 183
7 Czechia 183
7 Latvia 183
7 Malaysia 183
7 New Zealand 183
7 Slovakia 183
7 Slovenia 183
8 Croatia 182
8 Estonia 182
9 Liechtenstein 181
9 Lithuania 181
10 Iceland 180
10 United States 180
11 Bulgaria 178
11 Romania 178
12 Monaco 177
13 Cyprus 175
14 Chile 174
14 Hong Kong (SAR China) 174
15 Andorra 170
16 Argentina 169
16 Brazil 169
17 San Marino 167
18 Israel 166
19 Barbados 163
19 Brunei 163
20 The Bahamas 158
21 St. Kitts and Nevis 157
21 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 157
22 Mexico 156
22 Uruguay 156
23 Seychelles 155
24 Antigua and Barbuda 154
25 Vatican City 152
26 Costa Rica 148
26 Grenada 148
26 Mauritius 148
27 Panama 147
28 Paraguay 145
29 Dominica 144
29 Trinidad and Tobago 144
30 St. Lucia 143
31 Macao (SAR China) 142
31 Ukraine 142
32 Peru 141
33 Serbia 135
34 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 134
35 Solomon Islands 133
36 Guatemala 132
37 El Salvador 131
38 Colombia 130
39 Honduras 129
40 Marshall Islands 128
40 Samoa 128
41 Montenegro 127
41 North Macedonia 127
41 Tonga 127
42 Nicaragua 124
42 Tuvalu 124
43 Albania 122
43 Bosnia and Herzegovina 122
44 Georgia 121
44 Kiribati 121
44 Micronesia 121
45 Moldova 120
45 Palau Islands 120
46 Venezuela 116
47 Russian Federation 114
48 Qatar 112
48 Türkiye 112
49 South Africa 101
50 Belize 100
51 Kuwait 97
52 Maldives 93
52 Timor-Leste 93
53 Ecuador 92
54 Saudi Arabia 91
55 Bahrain 88
55 Guyana 88
56 Fiji 87
57 Vanuatu 86
58 Oman 85
59 Jamaica 84
59 Nauru 84
59 Papua New Guinea 84
60 China 83
60 Kosovo 83
61 Botswana 81
62 Belarus 78
63 Bolivia 77
63 Kazakhstan 77
63 Thailand 77
64 Suriname 75
65 Namibia 74
66 Lesotho 73
67 Morocco 71
67 Eswatini 71
68 Dominican Republic 70
68 Indonesia 70
68 Kenya 70
68 Malawi 70
69 Rwanda 68
69 Tanzania 68
69 The Gambia 68
70 Azerbaijan 67
70 Ghana 67
71 Tunisia 66
72 Benin 65
72 Philippines 65
72 Uganda 65
73 Armenia 64
73 Cape Verde Islands 64
73 Mongolia 64
73 Zambia 64
74 Sierra Leone 63
75 Zimbabwe 61
76 Mozambique 60
77 Kyrgyzstan 59
77 São Tomé and Príncipe 59
78 Uzbekistan 58
79 Burkina Faso 57
79 Cuba 57
79 Togo 57
80 Côte d’Ivoire 56
80 Gabon 56
80 Madagascar 56
80 Senegal 56
81 Algeria 55
81 India 55
81 Mauritania 55
82 Equatorial Guinea 54
82 Niger 54
83 Guinea 53
83 Mali 53
84 Tajikistan 52
85 Chad 51
85 Comoro Islands 51
85 Guinea-Bissau 51
86 Angola 49
86 Egypt 49
86 Jordan 49
86 Liberia 49
87 Burundi 48
87 Cameroon 48
87 Central African Republic 48
87 Haiti 48
87 Vietnam 48
88 Bhutan 47
88 Cambodia 47
88 Republic of the Congo 47
89 Djibouti 45
89 Laos 45
90 Democratic Republic of the Congo 44
90 Nigeria 44
90 Turkmenistan 44
91 Myanmar 43
92 Ethiopia 42
93 Lebanon 41
93 South Sudan 41
93 Sudan 41
94 Libya 39
94 Sri Lanka 39
95 Eritrea 38
96 Iran 37
96 Palestinian Territory 37
97 Bangladesh 35
97 North Korea 35
98 Nepal 34
99 Somalia 32
100 Yemen 30
101 Pakistan 29
102 Iraq 28
103 Syria 25
104 Afghanistan 22
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