Top 10 most open African countries in 2023

The notion of open borders and visa-free entrance has grown in relevance in a world that is looking to be globalized. Foreign people's ability to enter a country without having to seek a visa has developed as a sign of a country's openness and welcoming attitude.

While worldwide visa-free travel offers several socioeconomic benefits, some countries are hesitant to open their borders. However, a few countries throughout the world have made significant advances in creating an open and welcoming atmosphere. These countries make it easy to visit their country and make visitors feel welcome.  

The Henley Passport Index, developed by Henley and Partners, a global leader in residence and citizenship by investment, examines the relationship between a nation's openness to foreigners, the number of countries it permits to enter without a visa, and its own citizens' freedom to travel.

The new Henley Openness Index which covers Q3 of 2023, evaluates all 199 nations and territories in the globe based on the number of nationalities allowed access without a previous visa.

Henley & Partners Methodology

A score of 1 is provided to each country/territory if passport holders from that country/territory may enter without obtaining a visa in advance. This covers situations in which passport holders are permitted visa-free entry upon arrival, are issued a visitor's permission, or can get an electronic travel authorization (ETA) without requiring prior official clearance. These visa classes are covered by the destination country's visa waiver schemes.

If passport holders need a visa to enter a country/territory or must get a government-approved electronic visa (e-Visa) before departure, a score of 0 is awarded. Similarly, if passport holders require pre-departure government clearance for a visa on arrival, this is deemed non-compliance with the "visa-free" requirements, and a score of 0 is awarded.

Based on the requirements described above, the overall Openness Score for each country/territory is equal to the number of countries/territories enjoying visa-free entry (score = 1).

With the aforementioned methodology, here are the top 10 most open African countries. It is interesting to note that the first four countries on the list are African with each one scoring a perfect 198. Additionally, 7 of the top 10 countries on the list are African, with none of these countries scoring less than 197.