Global Travel Freedom for South African Passport Holders: Passport Index 2023
South Africa’s Passport Ranking: The latest Henley & Partners Passport Index for 2023 outlines the 106 countries that South African passport holders can travel to without requiring a visa.
Ranking Methodology: The index included 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, ranking them quarterly in terms of travel power.
Scoring Passports: Each passport was scored on the total number of destinations that the holder can access visa-free.
South Africa’s Passport Ranking: South Africa placed 52nd out of 104 countries with a visa-free score of 106, allowing its passport holders to visit 106 countries without a visa.
Top-Ranked Passports: Meanwhile, the index found that the Singapore passport was the most powerful with a visa-free score of 192, followed by Germany, Italy, and Spain in a tie for second with 190.
Lowest-Ranked Passport: Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the list with a score of 27.
Middle Eastern Visa-Free Destinations: Of those 106 countries, 7 are in the Middle East. They are: Armenia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar.
Visa-Free Travel by Region: Countries South African passport holders can visit visa-free per region:
- Africa – 35
- Americas – 18
- Asia – 17
- Caribbean – 16
- Europe – 4
- Middle East – 7
- Oceania – 9
List of 106 Visa-Free Countries for South African Passport Holders: The list includes various countries and regions, and some offer visa-on-arrival or electronic travel authorization.
This information highlights the global travel opportunities for South African passport holders and the countries they can visit without the need for a visa.