(JUBA) – South Sudan remains among the lowest ranked countries on the Africa Visa Openness Index, highlighting ongoing challenges for business travel, trade and regional integration, according to a joint report by the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission.
The index measures how open African countries are to visitors from other African states. It reviews visa requirements and entry rules to assess how easily people can travel across borders for business, tourism and investment. Scores range from zero for the most restrictive systems to one for full visa free access for all African citizens.
The latest findings show that Rwanda and The Gambia continue to lead the continent in visa openness, jointly ranked first. Kenya ranks third after recent changes to its electronic travel authorisation system, while Benin has moved to fourth place following the introduction of visa requirements for citizens of five African countries.
Within the East African Community, Rwanda and Kenya record the highest levels of visa openness. In contrast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and South Sudan remain in the lowest group of the index. For South Sudan, this position reflects strict visa controls that continue to limit movement of traders, investors and professionals within the region.
Kenya’s improved ranking follows updates to its entry system that now exempt citizens from 52 African countries from prior visa requirements. After being downgraded in 2024 when its system was treated as an electronic visa, Kenya has now achieved its highest ranking to date.
Over the past decade, countries such as Benin, Seychelles, The Gambia and Rwanda have led reforms to open their borders to African travellers. Rwanda reached a key milestone in 2023 by allowing visa free entry for citizens of all African Union member states. This policy change supported easier movement for business and boosted Rwanda’s performance on the index.
President Paul Kagame initiated these reforms during his role as chair of the African Union Institutional Reforms Committee in 2018. The changes have since helped position Rwanda as a hub for conferences, investment and regional trade.
At regional level, Ecowas and the East African Community remain the most open blocs. In 2025, the East African Community improved its average score to 0.540, ranking second behind Ecowas at 0.597. Despite this progress, the report notes that wide differences in visa policies still exist among member states, limiting full regional integration.
Ecowas recorded its lowest score since 2019 due to policy changes in several member states and the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in January 2025. Benin, once among the most improved countries, slipped from joint first to fourth after tightening entry rules for selected African nationals.
The Gambia has retained its top position since becoming visa free for all African citizens in 2020. Seychelles, which previously led the index, introduced a compulsory electronic travel authorisation system for all visitors, including maritime arrivals, affecting its ranking.
Several countries have shown notable improvement from low starting points. Eritrea and Ethiopia are among the most improved since 2016. Eritrea recently introduced visas on arrival for most countries, while Ethiopia now requires advance visas from only a small number of African states.
Zambia also recorded progress after abolishing visa requirements for citizens of 53 countries worldwide in January 2025. This move strengthened its appeal as a destination for tourism, trade and investment and improved its ranking from 24th to 19th.
Selected Africa Visa Openness Index Highlights
| Country or Region | Key Policy Position |
|---|---|
| Rwanda | Visa free for all African countries |
| The Gambia | Visa free for all African countries |
| Kenya | Visa free access for 52 African countries |
| East African Community | Second highest regional average score |
| South Sudan | Among lowest ranked in East Africa |
Several West African countries, including Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone, have also improved their standings after adopting more open visa policies beyond Ecowas citizens.
For South Sudan, the index underlines the economic cost of restrictive travel rules. Limited visa openness can reduce cross border trade, slow investment flows and restrict access to skills and markets. As African countries increasingly link mobility to economic growth, the report adds pressure on Juba to review its visa policies to support regional trade, business confidence and long term integration into the continental economy.
