Nigeria vs South Africa passport
South Africa is the stronger passport, with a PassRank score of 94 vs 41. The Nigeria passport ranks 181st and the South Africa passport ranks 97th of 199. They share visa-free-style access to 32 destinations. Nigeria can reach 9 places visa-free that South Africa cannot, while South Africa can reach 62 that Nigeria cannot.
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
Nigeria vs South Africa side by side
| Metric | Nigeria | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| PassRank score | 41 | 94 |
| World rank | #181 | #97 |
| Visa-free | 26 | 60 |
| Visa on arrival | 14 | 29 |
| eTA / ETA | 1 | 5 |
| e-Visa | 48 | 35 |
| Visa required | 109 | 69 |
Where Nigeria beats South Africa (9)
Destinations the Nigeria passport can enter visa-free, on arrival or via eTA, but the South Africa passport cannot:
| Destination |
|---|
| Burkina Faso |
| Cameroon |
| Chad |
| Guinea |
| Lebanon |
| Liberia |
| Mali |
| Niger |
| Togo |
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
Where South Africa beats Nigeria (62)
Destinations the South Africa passport can enter visa-free, on arrival or via eTA, but the Nigeria passport cannot:
| Destination |
|---|
| Angola |
| Antigua and Barbuda |
| Argentina |
| Armenia |
| Bahamas |
| Belize |
| Bolivia |
| Botswana |
| Brazil |
| Chile |
| Costa Rica |
| Dominican Republic |
| Ecuador |
| Egypt |
| El Salvador |
| Ethiopia |
| Gabon |
| Georgia |
| Grenada |
| Guatemala |
| Guyana |
| Honduras |
| Hong Kong |
| Indonesia |
| Israel |
| Jamaica |
| Jordan |
| Kyrgyzstan |
| Laos |
| Lesotho |
| Macao |
| Malawi |
| Malaysia |
| Marshall Islands |
| Namibia |
| Nepal |
| Nicaragua |
| Oman |
| Palestine |
| Panama |
| Papua New Guinea |
| Paraguay |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Qatar |
| Russia |
| Saint Lucia |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Singapore |
| South Korea |
| Sri Lanka |
| Swaziland |
| Tajikistan |
| Tanzania |
| Thailand |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
| Tunisia |
| Uruguay |
| Venezuela |
| Zambia |
| Zimbabwe |
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which passport is stronger, Nigeria or South Africa?
South Africa is the stronger passport, with a PassRank score of 94 vs 41. The PassRank score counts destinations reachable visa-free, on arrival or via eTA. Nigeria ranks 181st and South Africa ranks 97th of 199. Snapshot 17 February 2026.
Where can a Nigeria passport holder go that a South Africa holder can't?
There are 9 destinations the Nigeria passport can enter visa-free (or on arrival / via eTA) that the South Africa passport cannot, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Lebanon and more.
Where can a South Africa passport holder go that a Nigeria holder can't?
There are 62 destinations the South Africa passport can enter visa-free (or on arrival / via eTA) that the Nigeria passport cannot, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Bahamas and more.
How many destinations can both Nigeria and South Africa passports enter visa-free?
Both passports can enter 32 of 199 destinations without a visa in advance (visa-free, on arrival or via eTA). Nigeria has 9 extra and South Africa has 62 extra over the other.
Keep exploring
Data is a dated snapshot (17 February 2026) from the open passport-index dataset. This is general information, not immigration advice — verify current rules with each destination's official source. PassRank is not affiliated with Passport Index or Henley & Partners.
Last updated: 2026-06-21