How many countries can South Africa passport enter without visa?

Currently, South Africa passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 106 destinations worldwide. Our detailed guide provides comprehensive information on lists of destinations where South Africa passport holders can travel visa-free, obtain visa-on-arrival, or eTA.

The latest Henley & Partners Passport Index for 2023 shows where South Africans can travel around the world without needing a visa.

The index found that the Japanese passport was the most powerful, with a visa-free score of 193, followed by Singapore and South Korea in a tie with 192, and Europe’s Germany and Spain tied third with a score of 190.

Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the list with a score of 27, below both Iraq and Syria.

The analysis included 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, ranking them in terms of travel power. According to the investment migration consultancy, each passport is scored on the total number of destinations that the holder can access visa-free.

“For each travel destination, if no visa is required, then a score of 1 is allocated for that passport. This applies if passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) upon entry,” said Henley & Partners.

South Africa

South Africa places around the middle of the pack in the 53rd position with a visa-free score of 106. Compared to the previous year, the country has slipped two positions from 51st. However, its score has increased by two.

As a result, there are 106 countries spread across the globe that a South African passport holder can travel to visa-free. Burundi and Gambia have now allowed visa-free South African passport holders to enter the country.

In light of the high cost of living, if one can afford to travel abroad, one must bear in mind another increasing expense beyond plane tickets. In November last year, passports domestically saw a 50% price change – up from R200 to R600. Larger books for jet setters are now R1,200.

According to the minister of home affairs Aaron Motsoaledi, the jump in prices was a result of the last change only coming a decade ago – noting that they were three times cheaper than many other countries.

The South African passport has also been made a mockery by criminal syndicates using them to launder money, traffic people in and out of certain countries or aid in corruption.

Motsoaledi said that the hiking of the price is also an attempt to secure the document’s reputation within the global community.

Below are the 106 countries South Africans can travel to visa-free according to the latest Henley & Partners report (Note: *visa on arrival, **eTA):Africa

Americas 

Asia

Caribbean

Europe

Middle East 

Oceania