2023 is an important marker in the history of the Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI). After years of fluctuation— most recently, because of the drastic brakes on mobility imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic—in 2023 Africa’s countries recorded their highest average AVOI score measured to date. The continent's visa openness score has now inched ahead of its previous high, recorded in mid-2020 for the previous 12 months. This suggests that the visa policy restrictions imposed by the continent during the pandemic years have been fully reversed, and that Africa is poised to open its borders further to the movement of persons.
Among the encouraging developments that took place in the last 12 months, 15 countries improved their score, up from 10 countries that had improved their score between 2021 and 2022. In addition, 35 countries maintained their level of visa openness, and only four countries recorded a decrease. Four countries had also logged a decrease on last year’s AVOI, but two of those countries (Senegal and the Central African Republic) are among those whose score increased this year.
