Kenyan passport among top 10 most powerful in Africa
Kenya’s passport has been ranked as the ninth most powerful passport in Africa and 73rd globally, according to the latest Henley Passport Index from immigration consultancy Henley & Partners.
In the 2023 edition of the Henley Passport Index‒the most widely-accepted rating of global travel documents-Kenya’s passports climbed three places from last year’s index, placing it at 76 globally.
The latest ranking shows Kenyan citizens can now visit 73 countries without a prior visa.
This makes Kenya’s passport the ninth most powerful travel document in Africa behind Seychelles at position 29th globally with visa-free access to 153 destinations, Mauritius (34th), South Africa (53rd), Botswana (63rd), Namibia (67th), Lesotho (69th), and eSwatini (71st).
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Tanzania’s passport, which provides hassle-free entry to 72 destinations, was ranked the 10th best passport on the continent.
Japan bagged the top spot among 199 countries, with her passport allowing its citizens to enter a record 193 destinations without a visa or with a visa on arrival.
Singapore and South Korea share second place with the opportunity to visit 192 destinations without a visa.
Germany and Spain are tied to 190 destinations, followed by Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg at 189.
Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden all tied in fifth place, while France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom are at number six.
New Zealand and the United States appear in position seven, alongside Belgium, Norway, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
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The worst passports to hold in 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index, are North Korea (40 destinations, Nepal, Palestinian territory (38 destinations), Somalia (35 destinations, Yemen (34 destinations), Pakistan (32 destinations), Syria (30 destinations), Iraq (29 destinations), and Afghanistan (27 destinations).
The Henley Passport Index ranks countries based on which passports offer the most prolific visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world’s largest database of travel information.
Henley & Partner’s list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index ranks 199 passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. It is updated in real-time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes occur.
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