South Africa passport power
Africa · PassRank 94 · ranked 97th of 199
The South Africa passport has a PassRank score of 94 in 2026, placing it 97th of 199 worldwide and making it a mid-table passport. Holders can enter 60 destinations visa-free, 29 with a visa on arrival and 5 via an eTA — that is 94 of 199 destinations with no visa needed in advance. A further 35 require an e-visa and 69 require a standard visa before travel.
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
South Africa passport at a glance
| Access type | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Visa-free | 60 |
| Visa on arrival | 29 |
| eTA / ETA | 5 |
| PassRank score (no visa needed in advance) | 94 |
| e-Visa | 35 |
| Visa required | 69 |
| No admission | 0 |
Source: Passport Index dataset (imorte/passport-index-data). Data as of June 2026.
PassRank score = visa-free + visa on arrival + eTA = 94. Snapshot 17 February 2026. Counts exclude the South Africa itself. See how this is calculated.
Visa-free destinations (60)
Countries and territories the South Africa passport can enter visa-free (days shown where the dataset records a limit):
| Destination | Max stay |
|---|---|
| Angola | 30 days |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 180 days |
| Argentina | 90 days |
| Bahamas | 90 days |
| Barbados | 180 days |
| Belize | — |
| Benin | 90 days |
| Bolivia | 90 days |
| Botswana | 90 days |
| Brazil | 90 days |
| Chile | 90 days |
| Costa Rica | 180 days |
| Dominica | 180 days |
| Dominican Republic | 30 days |
| Ecuador | 90 days |
| El Salvador | 180 days |
| Fiji | 120 days |
| Gabon | 30 days |
| Gambia | 90 days |
| Georgia | 360 days |
| Ghana | 90 days |
| Grenada | 90 days |
| Guatemala | 90 days |
| Guyana | 30 days |
| Haiti | 90 days |
| Honduras | 90 days |
| Hong Kong | 30 days |
| Jamaica | — |
| Kenya | 90 days |
| Kiribati | 90 days |
| Lesotho | — |
| Macao | 30 days |
| Malawi | 90 days |
| Malaysia | 90 days |
| Mauritius | 90 days |
| Micronesia | 30 days |
| Mozambique | — |
| Namibia | 90 days |
| Nicaragua | 90 days |
| Palestine | — |
| Panama | 90 days |
| Paraguay | 90 days |
| Peru | 180 days |
| Philippines | 30 days |
| Russia | 90 days |
| Rwanda | 30 days |
| Saint Lucia | 42 days |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 90 days |
| Seychelles | 90 days |
| Singapore | 30 days |
| Swaziland | 30 days |
| Tanzania | 90 days |
| Thailand | 60 days |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 90 days |
| Tunisia | 90 days |
| Uruguay | 90 days |
| Vanuatu | 120 days |
| Venezuela | 90 days |
| Zambia | 90 days |
| Zimbabwe | 90 days |
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
Visa on arrival (29)
Destinations that issue the South Africa passport a visa on arrival (effectively visa-free, paid at the border):
| Destination | Max stay |
|---|---|
| Armenia | — |
| Burundi | — |
| Cambodia | — |
| Cape Verde | — |
| Comoros | — |
| Djibouti | — |
| Egypt | — |
| Ethiopia | — |
| Guinea-Bissau | — |
| Indonesia | — |
| Iran | — |
| Jordan | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | — |
| Laos | — |
| Madagascar | — |
| Maldives | — |
| Marshall Islands | — |
| Nepal | — |
| Oman | — |
| Palau | — |
| Qatar | — |
| Samoa | — |
| Saudi Arabia | — |
| Senegal | — |
| Sierra Leone | — |
| Sri Lanka | — |
| Tajikistan | — |
| Timor-Leste | — |
| Tuvalu | — |
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
Electronic travel authorisation / eTA (5)
Destinations requiring only an online eTA (e.g. ESTA, eTA, eVisitor) for the South Africa passport — quick to obtain and counted toward the PassRank score:
| Destination | Max stay |
|---|---|
| Israel | — |
| Ivory Coast | — |
| Papua New Guinea | — |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | — |
| South Korea | — |
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
e-Visa required (35)
Destinations that require an e-visa obtained before travel (not counted in the PassRank score):
| Destination | Max stay |
|---|---|
| Albania | — |
| Australia | — |
| Azerbaijan | — |
| Bahrain | — |
| Bhutan | — |
| Burkina Faso | — |
| Cameroon | — |
| Chad | — |
| Colombia | — |
| Cuba | — |
| DR Congo | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | — |
| Guinea | — |
| India | — |
| Iraq | — |
| Japan | — |
| Kazakhstan | — |
| Libya | — |
| Mauritania | — |
| Moldova | — |
| Mongolia | — |
| Myanmar | — |
| Nigeria | — |
| Pakistan | — |
| Sao Tome and Principe | — |
| Somalia | — |
| South Sudan | — |
| Suriname | — |
| Syria | — |
| Togo | — |
| Turkey | — |
| Uganda | — |
| Ukraine | — |
| United Arab Emirates | — |
| Vietnam | — |
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
Visa required in advance (69)
Destinations where South Africa passport holders must obtain a standard visa before travelling:
| Destination | Max stay |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | — |
| Algeria | — |
| Andorra | — |
| Austria | — |
| Bangladesh | — |
| Belarus | — |
| Belgium | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | — |
| Brunei | — |
| Bulgaria | — |
| Canada | — |
| Central African Republic | — |
| China | — |
| Congo | — |
| Croatia | — |
| Cyprus | — |
| Czech Republic | — |
| Denmark | — |
| Eritrea | — |
| Estonia | — |
| Finland | — |
| France | — |
| Germany | — |
| Greece | — |
| Hungary | — |
| Iceland | — |
| Ireland | — |
| Italy | — |
| Kosovo | — |
| Kuwait | — |
| Latvia | — |
| Lebanon | — |
| Liberia | — |
| Liechtenstein | — |
| Lithuania | — |
| Luxembourg | — |
| Mali | — |
| Malta | — |
| Mexico | — |
| Monaco | — |
| Montenegro | — |
| Morocco | — |
| Nauru | — |
| Netherlands | — |
| New Zealand | — |
| Niger | — |
| North Korea | — |
| North Macedonia | — |
| Norway | — |
| Poland | — |
| Portugal | — |
| Romania | — |
| San Marino | — |
| Serbia | — |
| Slovakia | — |
| Slovenia | — |
| Solomon Islands | — |
| Spain | — |
| Sudan | — |
| Sweden | — |
| Switzerland | — |
| Taiwan | — |
| Tonga | — |
| Turkmenistan | — |
| United Kingdom | — |
| United States | — |
| Uzbekistan | — |
| Vatican | — |
| Yemen | — |
Source: Passport Index dataset. Data as of June 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries can South Africa passport holders visit visa-free?
The South Africa passport has a PassRank score of 94, meaning holders can enter 94 of 199 destinations without arranging a visa in advance: 60 visa-free, 29 with a visa on arrival and 5 via an eTA. A further 35 require an e-visa and 69 require a standard visa. Snapshot 17 February 2026.
What is the South Africa passport's rank in 2026?
The South Africa passport ranks 97th out of 199 on the PassRank index in 2026, with a score of 94. PassRank counts destinations reachable visa-free, on arrival or via eTA; it is our own methodology and may differ from commercial indices.
Does South Africa need a visa for the United States?
South Africa passport holders need a visa for the United States in advance, per the snapshot. Verify the current requirement with the official US source.
How is the South Africa PassRank score calculated?
We count every destination the South Africa passport can enter with no visa required before travel: visa-free (60), visa on arrival (29) and eTA/ETA (5). e-Visas are excluded because they must be obtained in advance. The data is a dated snapshot from the open passport-index dataset (passportindex.org). See the methodology page for details.
Compare with similar passports
- Kuwait — PassRank 96 (96th) · compare South Africa vs Kuwait
- Belize — PassRank 87 (98th) · compare South Africa vs Belize
- Micronesia — PassRank 104 (95th) · compare South Africa vs Micronesia
- Bahrain — PassRank 86 (99th) · compare South Africa vs Bahrain
- Qatar — PassRank 105 (93rd) · compare South Africa vs Qatar
- Maldives — PassRank 86 (99th) · compare South Africa vs Maldives
See the full ranking, the Africa ranking, or all head-to-head comparisons.
Source & accuracy
Access data is a dated snapshot from the open passport-index dataset (MIT packaging; data from passportindex.org), captured 17 February 2026. The PassRank score is our own transparent count and may differ from commercial indices. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice — visa rules change frequently; always verify the current requirement with the destination's official government source before booking travel. PassRank is not affiliated with Passport Index or Henley & Partners.
Last updated: 2026-06-21