Kenyan passport ranked ninth most powerful in Africa
Kenya’s passport has moved one place on global ranking, reversing a downward trend that was hurting its position as the favourite investment destination in the region according to the latest Henley Passport Index from immigration consultancy Henley & Partners.
The Kenyan passport which gives holders access to 72 destinations without a prior visa was ranked ninth in Africa and 76th globally alongside Tanzania and Zambia.
Ranked 28th globally, Seychelles has the most powerful passport in Africa, providing hassle-free entry to 153 countries.
Mauritius placed 33rd in the world comes in second with access to 146 destinations followed by South Africa (55th), Botswana (65th), Namibia (70th), Lesotho (72nd), eSwatini (74th) Malawi (75th), Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia (76th), and Tunisia (77th).
Japan bagged the top spot among 199 countries, with her passport giving holders easy access to 193 destinations. Singapore and South Korea have the second strongest passports in the entire world, providing entry to 192 countries.
Germany and Spain (190 destinations) are third followed by Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 destinations), Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 destinations), France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 destinations), Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (186 destinations), Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Malta (185 destinations), Hungary (183 destinations), and Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia (182 destinations).
The worst passports to hold include 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 ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association which maintains the world’s largest database of travel information.
The index does not take temporary restrictions or airspace closures into account, so while the Russian passport currently sits at 50th place on the index, with a visa-free or visa-free on arrival score of 119, the reality is that Russian citizens are effectively barred from accessing many of those destinations.
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 come into effect.