Botswana passport ranking 2026 and visa-free countries list
Where the Botswana passport lets you travel without a visa arranged in advance, country by country, and how it ranks against 198 passports.
Botswana
Rank 56th of 93 ranks
Score
68
Visa-free
44
On arrival
20
eTA
4
e-Visa
38
Visa required
87
Many trips still need a visa arranged in advance. A second citizenship or a residence permit can change that for the whole family.
Visa-free countries for Botswana passport holders (44)
Enter with the passport alone. Days shown are the usual maximum stay where the source states one.
- Angola30 days
- Antigua and Barbuda90 days
- Bahamas90 days
- Bangladesh90 days
- Barbados180 days
- Belize
- Benin90 days
- Brazil90 days
- Dominica180 days
- Dominican Republic30 days
- Ecuador90 days
- Eswatini30 days
- Fiji120 days
- Gambia90 days
- Georgia90 days
- Ghana60 days
- Grenada90 days
- Guyana90 days
- Haiti90 days
- Jamaica
- Kiribati90 days
- Lesotho90 days
- Malawi90 days
- Malaysia30 days
- Mauritius180 days
- Micronesia30 days
- Mozambique90 days
- Namibia90 days
- North Macedonia90 days
- Panama180 days
- Philippines30 days
- Russia30 days
- Rwanda30 days
- Saint Kitts and Nevis90 days
- Saint Lucia42 days
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines30 days
- Singapore30 days
- South Africa90 days
- Tanzania90 days
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda90 days
- Vanuatu30 days
- Zambia90 days
- Zimbabwe90 days
Visa on arrival (20)
The visa is issued at the airport or border, normally for a fee.
- Bahrain
- Bolivia90 days
- Burundi30 days
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia30 days
- Comoros
- Ethiopia90 days
- Iran30 days
- Laos30 days
- Madagascar90 days
- Maldives30 days
- Nepal
- Palau30 days
- Samoa60 days
- Senegal90 days
- Seychelles90 days
- Sierra Leone
- Sri Lanka30 days
- Timor-Leste30 days
- Tuvalu30 days
Electronic travel authorisation, eTA (4)
A short online form before you fly, not a full visa application.
- Israel90 days
- Kenya90 days
- Pakistan
- South Korea90 days
e-Visa (38)
A visa you apply for and receive online before travel. Not counted in the score.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Chad
- Colombia
- Congo (DRC)
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Guinea
- India
- Iraq
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mauritania
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Papua New Guinea
- Qatar
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Thailand
- Togo
- Türkiye
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
Visa required (87)
Apply through the embassy, consulate or an appointed visa centre before travel.
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chile
- China
- Congo
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Guinea-Bissau
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- North Korea
- Norway
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Spain
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Territories with their own entry rules
Places such as Hong Kong, Macao, Bermuda or the Cook Islands set their own rules. They are listed here but not counted in the score.
Open without a visa arranged in advance (12)
- Anguilla
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Cook Islands
- Gibraltar
- Hong Kong
- Kosovo
- Macao
- Montserrat
- Niue
- Palestine
e-Visa or visa required (12)
- Aruba
- Curaçao
- Faroe Islands
- French Polynesia
- Greenland
- GuernseyFollows GB entry rules
- Isle of ManFollows GB entry rules
- JerseyFollows GB entry rules
- New Caledonia
- Puerto Rico
- Taiwan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
Second passports that would add the most
Citizenship-by-investment passports we advise on that rank above the Botswana passport, with the number of countries each opens that the Botswana passport does not. Worked out from the same data as the ranking.
| Passport | Rank | Score | Countries added | Programme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 21st | 130 | +69 | St. Kitts & Nevis citizenship |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 24th | 126 | +65 | Antigua & Barbuda citizenship |
| Dominica | 27th | 120 | +60 | Dominica citizenship |
| Grenada | 28th | 119 | +58 | Grenada citizenship |
| Saint Lucia | 32nd | 114 | +56 | Saint Lucia citizenship |
| Türkiye | 38th | 105 | +48 | Turkey citizenship |
| Vanuatu | 51st | 75 | +20 | Vanuatu citizenship |
Passports ranked close to the Botswana passport
Common questions
What is the rank of the Botswana passport in 2026?
On the XIPHIAS Passport Power Index (12 October 2026), the Botswana passport ranks 56th. It opens 68 of 193 countries without a visa arranged in advance; the top passport scores 167.
How many countries can Botswana passport holders visit without a visa?
44 countries are visa-free for Botswana passport holders. Counting 20 that give a visa on arrival and 4 that need only an online eTA, 68 countries need no visa arranged before travel. Another 38 offer an e-visa you apply for online, and 87 need a visa from an embassy.
Which countries give Botswana passport holders a visa on arrival?
Bahrain, Bolivia, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Comoros, Ethiopia, Iran, Laos, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Palau, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. Conditions apply at the border, usually a return ticket, proof of funds and a fee.
Do Botswana passport holders need a visa for the US, the UK, Canada or Schengen?
The United States: visa required; the United Kingdom: visa required; Canada: visa required; the Schengen area (checked for France): visa required; the UAE: e-visa (apply online before travel); Australia: visa required; Singapore: visa-free; Japan: visa required.
Where the data comes from
Entry rules for this passport are taken from the Wikipedia article Visa requirements for Botswana citizens (revision 1370441325), read on 12 October 2026, which cites each destination’s own rules. The article is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the lists on this page are adapted from it and shared under the same licence.
Check before you travel
Entry rules change, sometimes overnight, and can depend on the purpose of the trip, the passport’s validity and the visas you already hold. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or official immigration website before you book. This page is general information, not legal advice.