Rwanda has retained its position as the most visa‑open country in Africa, according to the 2025 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI). It has held the top spot since 2023 thanks to a visa‑free regime that allows citizens of other African nations to enter without a visa. The Gambia shares the leading position with Rwanda, while Kenya ranks third and Benin fourth.
The AVOI report, a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission, measures how open African countries are to visitors from within the continent. It evaluates each nation’s visa requirements to identify those that facilitate travel to their territory. The combined visa‑openness score across Africa is 0.445, slightly lower than in the previous three years.
In 2025, twenty African countries altered their visa policies, affecting citizens of one or more African states. Eleven countries improved their scores, nine saw declines, and thirty‑four made no changes. The number of visa‑free travel scenarios across Africa rose modestly, from 803 in 2024 to 814 in 2025, representing 28.2 % of intra‑African travel possibilities.
Rwanda offers visa‑free access to all African travelers, yet its own citizens still need visas or visas‑on‑arrival for some destinations. They can travel visa‑free to sixteen African nations, obtain visas on arrival in another sixteen, and must secure a visa for twenty‑one countries.
Joy Kategekwa, Director of Regional Integration at the African Development Bank, noted that visa‑free mobility in Africa has shown promise over the past decade but requires accelerated action to reach its full potential. She emphasized that visa‑free policies support economic growth by facilitating trade, industry, and access to opportunities where they are most needed. Kategekwa called for creativity and innovation in building on the experiences of countries that have granted visa‑free access to fellow Africans, while managing risks and anticipating challenges. The AVOI report underscores that facilitating visa‑free mobility is essential for the continent’s economic development and growth.
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