South Africa’s passport ranking drops to 53rd: reasons behind the decline

South Africa’s passport has fallen from 48th to 53rd place in the latest global passport rankings, according to the Henley Passport Index.

This ranking has remained at 53rd for the past three years, but it briefly improved to 48th in January 2025.

The recent update in October has seen the total number of countries that South African travellers can enter visa-free decline from 103 to 102.

The Henley Passport Index evaluates the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations.

Each passport earns one point for every country that allows visa-free entry, as well as for countries where travellers can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA), a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA).

However, if a visa is required before departure, including government-approved electronic visas (e-Visas), it does not contribute to the passport's score.

A spokesperson from Henley & Partners stated, “The Henley Passport Index is updated monthly, typically in the first week of each month. The current data released is the October update. A passport’s ranking can fluctuate throughout the year as the data is updated.”

They also revealed that the historical data displayed in the index shows the January rankings for each year, with the current year reflecting the most recent score.

"In January 2025, the South African passport was ranked 48th, but the rolling 2026 rank will be added next year. As the South African passport sits in the middle of the rankings, it is more susceptible to fluctuations. Changes in access can affect its position, as can shifts in the rankings of other passports."

It was also noted that this year, there was significant consolidation at the top of the list, where multiple passports shared a ranking, which subsequently impacted the rankings of those below them.

In addition to the drop in ranking, the South African passport has lost visa-free access to several destinations without gaining any new access.

This decline has further contributed to its lower rank.

The changes in the South African passport’s access this year are as follows:

• January rank: 48th, Score: 106
• July rank: 48th, Score: 103
• October rank: 53rd, Score: 102

In total, South Africa has lost access to four destinations since the January update:

• Pakistan.
• Mauritania.
• Nigeria.
• Somalia.

These countries have updated their visa policies, introducing new eVisa systems that have replaced visa-free or visa-on-arrival access for many passports.