When African countries make it simpler for Africa’s businesspeople, tourists, students, and workers to travel, they attract investment and build expertise. Since 2016, the Africa Visa Openness Report has tracked the evolution of countries’ visa regimes. Every year, the report shows where countries have advanced and where they still need to make progress.
The Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) measures the extent to which African countries are open to visitors from other African countries. The AVOI analyzes each country’s visa requirements to show which countries on the continent most facilitate travel to their territory.
For each country, the AVOI calculates the number of African countries whose citizens must obtain a visa before travelling there, the number of countries whose citizens may obtain a visa upon arrival, and the number of countries whose citizens can enter visa-free. Each country is then assigned a AVOI score and ranked accordingly. First published in 2016, the AVOI also tracks changes in countries’ scores over time. It does the same for the eight regional economic communities recognized by the African Union. The report analyzes these trends in light of other developments in Africa and the world. Data for this year’s edition was collected in July and August 2023. The main source of information was the International Air Transport Association.
Download the report (pdf)
