South African passport ranking 2026 and visa-free countries list
Where the South African passport lets you travel without a visa arranged in advance, country by country, and how it ranks against 198 passports.
South Africa
Rank 45th of 93 ranks
Score
88
Visa-free
59
On arrival
26
eTA
3
e-Visa
36
Visa required
69
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 South African passport holders (59)
Enter with the passport alone. Days shown are the usual maximum stay where the source states one.
- Angola90 days
- Antigua and Barbuda180 days
- Argentina90 days
- Bahamas90 days
- Barbados180 days
- Belize
- Benin90 days
- Bolivia90 days
- Botswana90 days
- Brazil90 days
- Chile90 days
- Costa Rica90 days
- Dominica180 days
- Dominican Republic90 days
- Ecuador90 days
- El Salvador90 days
- Eswatini30 days
- Fiji120 days
- Gabon30 days
- Gambia90 days
- Georgia365 days
- Ghana90 days
- Grenada90 days
- Guatemala90 days
- Guyana90 days
- Haiti90 days
- Honduras90 days
- Jamaica
- Kenya90 days
- Kiribati90 days
- Lesotho90 days
- Malawi90 days
- Malaysia90 days
- Mauritius180 days
- Micronesia30 days
- Mozambique90 days
- Namibia90 days
- Nicaragua90 days
- Oman14 days
- Panama90 days
- Paraguay90 days
- Peru90 days
- Philippines30 days
- Qatar30 days
- Russia90 days
- Rwanda30 days
- Saint Lucia42 days
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines90 days
- Seychelles90 days
- Singapore30 days
- Tanzania90 days
- Thailand60 days
- Trinidad and Tobago90 days
- Tunisia90 days
- Uruguay90 days
- Vanuatu120 days
- Venezuela90 days
- Zambia90 days
- Zimbabwe90 days
Visa on arrival (26)
The visa is issued at the airport or border, normally for a fee.
- Armenia120 days
- Bahrain14 days
- Burundi30 days
- Cabo Verde30 days
- Cambodia30 days
- Comoros45 days
- Egypt30 days
- Ethiopia90 days
- Guinea-Bissau90 days
- Indonesia30 days
- Jordan30 days
- Kyrgyzstan60 days
- Laos30 days
- Madagascar90 days
- Maldives30 days
- Marshall Islands90 days
- Nepal90 days
- Palau30 days
- Samoa90 days
- Saudi Arabia90 days
- Senegal30 days
- Sierra Leone90 days
- Sri Lanka30 days
- Tajikistan60 days
- Timor-Leste30 days
- Tuvalu30 days
Electronic travel authorisation, eTA (3)
A short online form before you fly, not a full visa application.
- Israel90 days
- Saint Kitts and Nevis90 days
- South Korea30 days
e-Visa (36)
A visa you apply for and receive online before travel. Not counted in the score.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Azerbaijan
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Chad
- Colombia
- Congo (DRC)
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guinea
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Japan
- Libya
- Mauritania
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Serbia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Togo
- Türkiye
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Vietnam
Visa required (69)
Apply through the embassy, consulate or an appointed visa centre before travel.
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- China
- Congo
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Mali
- Malta
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Niger
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Spain
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican City
- 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 (10)
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Cook Islands
- Hong Kong
- Kosovo
- Macao
- Montserrat
- Niue
- Palestine
- Turks and Caicos Islands
e-Visa or visa required (14)
- Anguilla
- Aruba
- Bermuda
- Curaçao
- Faroe Islands
- French Polynesia
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- GuernseyFollows GB entry rules
- Isle of ManFollows GB entry rules
- JerseyFollows GB entry rules
- New Caledonia
- Puerto Rico
- Taiwan
Second passports that would add the most
Citizenship-by-investment passports we advise on that rank above the South African passport, with the number of countries each opens that the South African passport does not. Worked out from the same data as the ranking.
| Passport | Rank | Score | Countries added | Programme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 21st | 130 | +55 | St. Kitts & Nevis citizenship |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 24th | 126 | +55 | Antigua & Barbuda citizenship |
| Dominica | 27th | 120 | +50 | Dominica citizenship |
| Grenada | 28th | 119 | +50 | Grenada citizenship |
| Saint Lucia | 32nd | 114 | +44 | Saint Lucia citizenship |
| Türkiye | 38th | 105 | +28 | Turkey citizenship |
Passports ranked close to the South African passport
Common questions
What is the rank of the South African passport in 2026?
On the XIPHIAS Passport Power Index (12 October 2026), the South African passport ranks 45th. It opens 88 of 193 countries without a visa arranged in advance; the top passport scores 167.
How many countries can South African passport holders visit without a visa?
59 countries are visa-free for South African passport holders. Counting 26 that give a visa on arrival and 3 that need only an online eTA, 88 countries need no visa arranged before travel. Another 36 offer an e-visa you apply for online, and 69 need a visa from an embassy.
Which countries give South African passport holders a visa on arrival?
Armenia, Bahrain, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Comoros, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Nepal, Palau, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. Conditions apply at the border, usually a return ticket, proof of funds and a fee.
Do South African 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: visa required; Australia: visa required; Singapore: visa-free; Japan: e-visa (apply online before travel).
Where the data comes from
Entry rules for this passport are taken from the Wikipedia article Visa requirements for South African citizens (revision 1368956927), 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.