South Africa Passport Ranking 2026

Explore South Africa passport power with access to 61 visa-free destinations. Ranked #97 globally.

South Africa
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South Africa Passport

Rank #97 globally
61
Visa-free destinations
127
Easy Access Countries
111.5
Mobility Score

Global Passport Power Ranking

Visa Requirements for South Africa Citizens

Detailed visa information for South Africa passport holders traveling worldwide

Rank Destination Visa Type Duration
#1 United Arab Emirates eVisa 90 days
#2 Spain Visa Required -
#3 Finland Visa Required -
#4 France Visa Required -
#5 Sweden Visa Required -
#6 Belgium Visa Required -
#7 Germany Visa Required -
#8 Italy Visa Required -
#9 Luxembourg Visa Required -
#10 Netherlands Visa Required -
#11 Denmark Visa Required -
#12 Singapore Visa Free 30 days
#13 Austria Visa Required -
#14 Portugal Visa Required -
#15 Norway Visa Required -
#16 Switzerland Visa Required -
#17 Greece Visa Required -
#18 Ireland Visa Required -
#19 Poland Visa Required -
#20 South Korea eTA Required 90 days
#21 Hungary Visa Required -
#22 Croatia Visa Required -
#23 Slovakia Visa Required -
#24 Japan eVisa 90 days
#25 Czech Republic Visa Required -
#26 Estonia Visa Required -
#27 Australia eVisa 90 days
#28 New Zealand Visa Required -
#29 Malta Visa Required -
#30 Slovenia Visa Required -
#31 United Kingdom Visa Required -
#32 Canada Visa Required -
#33 Romania Visa Required -
#34 Latvia Visa Required -
#35 Bulgaria Visa Required -
#36 Cyprus Visa Required -
#37 Lithuania Visa Required -
#38 Iceland Visa Required -
#39 Liechtenstein Visa Required -
#40 United States Visa Required -
#41 Malaysia Visa Free 90 days
#42 Monaco Visa Required -
#43 Brazil Visa Free 90 days
#44 Argentina Visa Free 90 days
#45 Chile Visa Free 90 days
#46 Hong Kong Visa Free 30 days
#47 Andorra Visa Required -
#48 Barbados Visa Free 180 days
#49 San Marino Visa Required -
#50 Uruguay Visa Free 90 days
#51 Israel Visa Free 90 days
#52 Brunei Visa Required -
#53 Bahamas Visa Free 90 days
#54 Saint Kitts and Nevis Visa Free 90 days
#55 Mexico Visa Required -
#56 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Visa Free 90 days
#57 Peru Visa Free 180 days
#58 Seychelles Visa Free 90 days
#59 Ukraine Visa Required -
#60 Vatican Visa Required -
#61 Antigua and Barbuda Visa Free 180 days
#62 Costa Rica Visa Free 180 days
#63 Trinidad and Tobago Visa Free 90 days
#64 Paraguay Visa Free 90 days
#65 Grenada Visa Free 90 days
#66 Mauritius Visa Free 90 days
#67 Macao Visa Free 30 days
#68 Panama Visa Free 90 days
#69 Saint Lucia Visa Free 42 days
#70 Dominica Visa Free 180 days
#71 Solomon Islands Visa Required -
#72 Serbia Visa Required -
#73 Guatemala Visa Free 90 days
#74 Colombia eVisa 90 days
#75 El Salvador Visa Free 180 days
#76 Montenegro Visa Required -
#77 Samoa Visa on Arrival 30 days
#78 Honduras Visa Free 90 days
#79 Taiwan Visa Required -
#80 Tuvalu Visa on Arrival 30 days
#81 Tonga Visa Required -
#82 North Macedonia Visa Required -
#83 Georgia Visa Free 360 days
#84 Kiribati Visa Free 90 days
#85 Marshall Islands Visa on Arrival 30 days
#86 Nicaragua Visa Free 90 days
#87 Palau Visa on Arrival 30 days
#88 Bosnia and Herzegovina Visa Required -
#89 Micronesia Visa Free 30 days
#90 Venezuela Visa Free 90 days
#91 Albania eVisa 90 days
#92 Moldova eVisa 90 days
#93 Russia Visa Free 90 days
#94 Turkey eVisa 90 days
#95 Qatar Visa on Arrival 30 days
#96 Timor Leste Visa on Arrival 30 days
#98 Kuwait Visa Required -
#99 Belize Visa Free 90 days
#100 Jamaica Visa Free 90 days
#101 Maldives Visa on Arrival 30 days
#102 Saudi Arabia Visa on Arrival 30 days
#103 Fiji Visa Free 120 days
#104 Ecuador Visa Free 90 days
#105 Vanuatu Visa Free 120 days
#106 Guyana Visa Free 30 days
#107 Kosovo Visa Required -
#108 Bahrain eVisa 90 days
#109 Indonesia Visa on Arrival 30 days
#110 Thailand Visa Free 60 days
#111 Oman Visa on Arrival 30 days
#112 China Visa Required -
#113 Nauru Visa Required -
#114 Belarus Visa Required -
#115 Papua New Guinea eTA Required 90 days
#116 Kazakhstan eVisa 90 days
#117 Bolivia Visa on Arrival 30 days
#118 Suriname eVisa 90 days
#119 Botswana Visa Free 90 days
#120 Swaziland Visa Free 30 days
#121 Morocco Visa Required -
#122 Lesotho Visa Free 90 days
#123 Namibia Visa Free 90 days
#124 Dominican Republic Visa Free 90 days
#125 Mongolia eVisa 90 days
#126 Azerbaijan eVisa 90 days
#127 Malawi Visa Free 90 days
#128 Philippines Visa Free 30 days
#129 Armenia Visa on Arrival 30 days
#130 Ghana Visa Free 90 days
#131 Tunisia Visa Free 90 days
#132 Gambia Visa Free 90 days
#133 Kenya eTA Required 90 days
#134 Kyrgyzstan Visa on Arrival 30 days
#135 Tanzania Visa Free 90 days
#136 Cape Verde Visa on Arrival 30 days
#137 India eVisa 90 days
#138 Cuba eVisa 90 days
#139 Zambia Visa Free 90 days
#140 Uganda eVisa 90 days
#141 Senegal Visa on Arrival 30 days
#142 Uzbekistan Visa Required -
#143 Rwanda Visa Free 30 days
#144 Sierra Leone Visa on Arrival 30 days
#145 Cambodia Visa on Arrival 30 days
#146 Benin Visa Free 90 days
#147 Zimbabwe Visa Free 90 days
#148 Gabon Visa Free 30 days
#149 Tajikistan Visa on Arrival 30 days
#150 Ivory Coast eTA Required 90 days
#151 Sao Tome and Principe eVisa 90 days
#152 Algeria Visa Required -
#153 Vietnam eVisa 90 days
#154 Burkina Faso eVisa 90 days
#155 Togo Visa Free 30 days
#156 Guinea eVisa 90 days
#157 Madagascar Visa on Arrival 30 days
#158 Niger Visa Required -
#159 Mauritania Visa on Arrival 30 days
#160 Mali Visa Required -
#161 Equatorial Guinea eVisa 90 days
#162 Mozambique Visa Free 90 days
#163 Bhutan eVisa 90 days
#164 Turkmenistan Visa Required -
#165 Jordan Visa on Arrival 30 days
#166 Egypt Visa on Arrival 30 days
#167 Laos Visa on Arrival 30 days
#168 Angola Visa Free 30 days
#169 Guinea Bissau Visa on Arrival 30 days
#170 Chad Visa Required -
#171 Comoros Visa on Arrival 30 days
#172 Central African Republic Visa Required -
#173 Cameroon eVisa 90 days
#174 Djibouti Visa on Arrival 30 days
#175 Haiti Visa Free 90 days
#176 Congo Visa Required -
#177 Liberia Visa Required -
#178 Burundi Visa on Arrival 30 days
#179 Myanmar eVisa 90 days
#180 Sri Lanka Visa on Arrival 30 days
#181 Nigeria Visa on Arrival 30 days
#182 Ethiopia Visa on Arrival 30 days
#183 Nepal Visa on Arrival 30 days
#184 Lebanon Visa Required -
#185 Eritrea Visa Required -
#186 North Korea Visa Required -
#187 DR Congo eVisa 90 days
#188 Libya eVisa 90 days
#189 South Sudan eVisa 90 days
#190 Iran Visa on Arrival 30 days
#191 Sudan Visa Required -
#192 Bangladesh Visa Required -
#193 Palestine Visa Free 90 days
#194 Pakistan eTA Required 90 days
#195 Yemen Visa Required -
#196 Iraq eVisa 90 days
#197 Somalia Visa on Arrival 30 days
#198 Afghanistan Visa Required -
#199 Syria eVisa 90 days

What a South Africa Passport Means in 2026

The South Africa passport ranks #97 globally in 2026 with a mobility score of 111.5. Its holders can travel to 61 destinations without a prior visa, while 127 countries offer easy-access arrangements. That covers roughly 64.1% of the world — 71 countries still require a standard visa for South Africa citizens. This page lists every destination with its current visa type, duration, and requirements, updated continuously.

Top Visa-Free Destinations for South Africa Passport Holders

#1 United Arab Emirates #2 Singapore #3 South Korea #4 Japan #5 Australia #6 Malaysia #7 Brazil #8 Argentina

Regional Access Breakdown for South Africa Passport

3
Europe
of 46 total
27
Asia
of 35 total
11
Middle East
of 14 total
42
Africa
of 52 total
32
Americas
of 35 total
10
Oceania
of 14 total

Passports Similar to South Africa (Rank #97)

These passports have comparable visa-free access to South Africa. Useful for understanding where your passport stands globally.

Timor Leste
#96 • 56 destinations
Kuwait
#98 • 58 destinations
Qatar
#95 • 70 destinations
Belize
#99 • 59 destinations
Turkey
#94 • 70 destinations
Jamaica
#100 • 56 destinations
Russia
#93 • 81 destinations
Maldives
#101 • 54 destinations

South Africa Passport Power: Full Breakdown

The South Africa passport ranks #97 globally in the 2026 mobility index, granting its holders access to 127 of 198 countries (64.1% of the world) without a prior full visa. Here's the complete breakdown by entry type:

  • Visa-free entry: 61 countries
  • Visa on arrival: 33 countries
  • e-Visa: 28 countries
  • Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): 5 countries
  • Full visa required: 71 countries

Where Can South Africa Passport Holders Travel Visa-Free — by Region

The South Africa passport unlocks different levels of access across the six world regions. Here's how it performs globally:

  • Europe: 3 countries visa-free or easy access
  • Asia: 27 countries visa-free or easy access
  • Middle East: 11 countries visa-free or easy access
  • Africa: 42 countries visa-free or easy access
  • Americas: 32 countries visa-free or easy access
  • Oceania: 10 countries visa-free or easy access

Top 20 Visa-Free Destinations for South Africa Passport

The most popular visa-free or easy-access destinations for South Africa citizens in 2026, ranked by destination passport strength. Click any country to see detailed entry requirements.

United Arab Emirates • 90 days stay Singapore • 30 days stay South Korea • 90 days stay Japan • 90 days stay Australia • 90 days stay Malaysia • 90 days stay Brazil • 90 days stay Argentina • 90 days stay Chile • 90 days stay Hong Kong • 30 days stay Barbados • 180 days stay Uruguay • 90 days stay Israel • 90 days stay Bahamas • 90 days stay Saint Kitts and Nevis • 90 days stay Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • 90 days stay Peru • 180 days stay Seychelles • 90 days stay Antigua and Barbuda • 180 days stay Costa Rica • 180 days stay

Fast e-Visa Destinations for South Africa Citizens

South Africa passport holders can apply online for an e-Visa to the following popular destinations. Processing usually takes 1–7 business days.

United Arab Emirates • E-VISA South Korea • ETA Japan • E-VISA Australia • E-VISA Colombia • E-VISA Albania • E-VISA Moldova • E-VISA Turkey • E-VISA Bahrain • E-VISA Papua New Guinea • ETA

Longest Visa-Free Stays for South Africa Passport Holders

These destinations grant South Africa citizens the longest permitted visa-free or easy-access stay durations — ideal for extended trips, digital nomads, and long-term travel.

How South Africa Compares to Regional Neighbors

Compare South Africa with other passports from the same region — see who offers the strongest access and what sets South Africa apart.

Seychelles
#58 • 102 destinations
Mauritius
#66 • 96 destinations
Botswana
#119 • 48 destinations
Morocco
#121 • 38 destinations
Lesotho
#122 • 45 destinations
Namibia
#123 • 43 destinations
Malawi
#127 • 42 destinations
Ghana
#130 • 42 destinations

Countries Requiring a Full Visa for South Africa Citizens

South Africa passport holders must obtain a traditional visa from an embassy or consulate before travelling to the following 71 countries. Always check current requirements with the official embassy.

Spain Finland France Sweden Belgium Germany Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Denmark Austria Portugal Norway Switzerland Greece Ireland Poland Hungary Croatia Slovakia Czech Republic Estonia New Zealand Malta Slovenia United Kingdom Canada Romania Latvia Bulgaria Cyprus Lithuania Iceland Liechtenstein United States Monaco Andorra San Marino Brunei Mexico

Processing times typically range from 5–30 business days; expedited services may be available at an additional fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

What visa requirements does South Africa passport holders need to know?

South Africa passport holders enjoy access to 61 visa-free destinations and 127 countries with easy access policies. This includes visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival options, and electronic travel authorizations (eTA) that can be obtained quickly online.

The South Africa passport is currently ranked #97 globally, providing excellent travel freedom for its citizens.

How can South Africa citizens check visa requirements before traveling?

Before traveling, South Africa citizens should:

  • Check the visa requirements table above for your specific destination
  • Verify current requirements with the destination country's embassy or consulate
  • Ensure your passport has at least 6 months validity remaining
  • Check if you need any health certificates or vaccinations
  • Consider travel insurance requirements for your destination

What's the difference between visa-free, visa-on-arrival, and eVisa for South Africa travelers?

Visa-free: South Africa passport holders can enter without any visa for the specified duration.

Visa-on-arrival: You can obtain a visa upon arriving at the destination country's border or airport.

eVisa: An electronic visa that must be applied for and approved online before traveling.

eTA: Electronic Travel Authorization - a simple online approval required before boarding your flight.

Visa required: A traditional visa must be obtained from an embassy or consulate before traveling.

Can visa requirements change for South Africa passport holders?

Visa requirements can change frequently. It is recommended to check with the nearest embassy or consulate of South Africa for the most up-to-date information before traveling.

How strong is the South Africa passport compared to other passports?

The South Africa passport ranks #97 globally with a mobility score of 111.5. This ranking is based on:

  • 61 visa-free destinations
  • 33 visa-on-arrival countries
  • 28 eVisa destinations
  • 5 eTA destinations

You can see how South Africa compares to other countries in our interactive chart above.

How often does South Africa visa policy for its citizens change?

Visa policies are reviewed regularly. Major changes typically happen after bilateral agreements, elections, or security reviews. We update the South Africa data at least quarterly from official sources.

In which region does the South Africa passport grant the strongest access?

Based on current data, the South Africa passport grants its strongest regional access in Africa with 42 accessible destinations. Review the regional breakdown above for full details.

Can South Africa passport holders also benefit from a second passport?

Many travellers combine a South Africa passport with a second citizenship (e.g. EU, Caribbean, or investment-based). A second passport can unlock additional visa-free destinations and reduce travel restrictions. Always verify dual-citizenship rules with South Africa authorities.

Does visa-free access mean I can work in those countries as a South Africa citizen?

No. Visa-free entry is strictly for tourism, short business meetings, or transit. A separate work permit or long-stay visa is required to take up employment, study, or reside in any destination.

Are there digital nomad visas available for South Africa passport holders?

Yes — over 50 countries now offer specific digital nomad visas, many accepting South Africa citizens. Popular options include Portugal, Estonia, Spain, UAE, Thailand, and Mexico. Requirements usually include proof of remote income and valid health insurance.