South Africa · Passport Index 2026
South Africa · Passport Index 2026South African passport: visa-free countries
Ranked #52 in the world, with 101 places you can visit easily: no visa, a visa at the airport, or a short online form.
Cover: Henley & Partners
Visa-free countries for South African passport holders
Just show your passport at the border.
Visa on arrival
Get your visa at the airport when you land. No need to apply in advance.
eVisa and online permits
Apply online before you fly; no embassy visit.
Where the South African passport can go
Every country coloured by its entry rule. Tap one for the details.
How the South African passport compares
Passports ranked close to it on the Passport Index 2026.
By region of the world
For each part of the world: how many countries' travellers can come easily. Easy means no visa, a visa at the airport, or a short online form.
- Americas33 of 52 countries
- Asia26 of 50 countries
- Africa29 of 57 countries
- Oceania11 of 24 countries
- Europe2 of 49 countries
- Antarctic0 of 1 countries
All 233 destinations for South African passport holders
233 of 233 destinations
- AngolaVisa not requiredMiddle Africa90 days
- Antigua and BarbudaVisa not requiredCaribbean180 days
- ArgentinaVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- BahamasVisa not requiredCaribbean90 days
- BarbadosVisa not requiredCaribbean180 days
- BelizeVisa not requiredCentral America
- BeninVisa not requiredWestern Africa90 days
- BoliviaVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- BotswanaVisa not requiredSouthern Africa90 days
- BrazilVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- British Virgin IslandsVisa not requiredCaribbean30 days
- Cayman IslandsVisa not requiredCaribbean180 days
- ChileVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- Cook IslandsVisa not requiredPolynesia31 days
- Costa RicaVisa not requiredCentral America90 days
- DominicaVisa not requiredCaribbean180 days
- Dominican RepublicVisa not requiredCaribbean90 days
- EcuadorVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- El SalvadorVisa not requiredCentral America90 days
- EswatiniVisa not requiredSouthern Africa30 days
- FijiVisa not requiredMelanesia120 days
- GabonVisa not requiredMiddle Africa30 days
- GambiaVisa not requiredWestern Africa90 days
- GeorgiaVisa not requiredWestern Asia365 days
- GhanaVisa not requiredWestern Africa90 days
- GrenadaVisa not requiredCaribbean90 days
- GuatemalaVisa not requiredCentral America90 days
- GuyanaVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- HaitiVisa not requiredCaribbean90 days
- HondurasVisa not requiredCentral America90 days
- Hong KongVisa not requiredEastern Asia
- JamaicaVisa not requiredCaribbean
- KazakhstanVisa not requiredCentral Asia
- KenyaVisa not requiredEastern Africa90 days
- KiribatiVisa not requiredMicronesia90 days
- KosovoVisa not requiredSoutheast Europe90 days
- LesothoVisa not requiredSouthern Africa90 days
- MacauVisa not requiredEastern Asia30 days
- MalawiVisa not requiredEastern Africa90 days
- MalaysiaVisa not requiredSouth-Eastern Asia90 days
- MauritiusVisa not requiredEastern Africa180 days
- MicronesiaVisa not requiredMicronesia30 days
- MontserratVisa not requiredCaribbean180 days
- MozambiqueVisa not requiredEastern Africa90 days
- NamibiaVisa not requiredSouthern Africa90 days
- NicaraguaVisa not requiredCentral America90 days
- NiueVisa not requiredPolynesia30 days
- OmanVisa not requiredWestern Asia14 days
- PalestineVisa not requiredWestern Asia
- PanamaVisa not requiredCentral America90 days
- ParaguayVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- PeruVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- PhilippinesVisa not requiredSouth-Eastern Asia30 days
- Pitcairn IslandsVisa not requiredPolynesia14 days
- QatarVisa not requiredWestern Asia30 days
- RéunionVisa not requiredEastern Africa
- RussiaVisa not requiredEastern Europe90 days
- RwandaVisa not requiredEastern Africa30 days
- Saint LuciaVisa not requiredCaribbean
- Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa not requiredCaribbean90 days
- SeychellesVisa not requiredEastern Africa90 days
- SingaporeVisa not requiredSouth-Eastern Asia30 days
- TanzaniaVisa not requiredEastern Africa90 days
- ThailandVisa not requiredSouth-Eastern Asia60 days
- Trinidad and TobagoVisa not requiredCaribbean90 days
- TunisiaVisa not requiredNorthern Africa90 days
- Turks and Caicos IslandsVisa not requiredCaribbean90 days
- UruguayVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- VanuatuVisa not requiredMelanesia120 days
- VenezuelaVisa not requiredSouth America90 days
- ZambiaVisa not requiredEastern Africa90 days
- ZimbabweVisa not requiredSouthern Africa90 days
- ArmeniaVisa on arrivalWestern Asia120 days
- BahrainVisa on arrivalWestern Asia14 days
- BurundiVisa on arrivalEastern Africa30 days
- CambodiaVisa on arrivalSouth-Eastern Asia30 days
- Cape VerdeVisa on arrivalWestern Africa30 days
- ComorosVisa on arrivalEastern Africa45 days
- EgyptVisa on arrivalNorthern Africa30 days
- EthiopiaVisa on arrivalEastern Africa90 days
- Guinea-BissauVisa on arrivalWestern Africa90 days
- IndonesiaVisa on arrivalSouth-Eastern Asia30 days
- JordanVisa on arrivalWestern Asia30 days
- KyrgyzstanVisa on arrivalCentral Asia60 days
- LaosVisa on arrivalSouth-Eastern Asia30 days
- MadagascarVisa on arrivalEastern Africa90 days
- MaldivesVisa on arrivalSouthern Asia30 days
- Marshall IslandsVisa on arrivalMicronesia90 days
- NepalVisa on arrivalSouthern Asia90 days
- PalauVisa on arrivalMicronesia30 days
- SamoaVisa on arrivalPolynesia90 days
- Saudi ArabiaVisa on arrivalWestern Asia90 days
- SenegalVisa on arrivalWestern Africa30 days
- Sierra LeoneVisa on arrivalWestern Africa30 days
- Sri LankaVisa on arrivalSouthern Asia30 days
- TajikistanVisa on arrivalCentral Asia60 days
- Timor-LesteVisa on arrivalSouth-Eastern Asia30 days
- TuvaluVisa on arrivalPolynesia30 days
- IsraeleTA requiredWestern Asia90 days
- Saint Kitts and NeviseTA requiredCaribbean90 days
- South KoreaeTA requiredEastern Asia30 days
- AfghanistaneVisaSouthern Asia30 days
- AlbaniaeVisaSoutheast Europe90 days
- AnguillaeVisaCaribbean
- AzerbaijaneVisaWestern Asia30 days
- BhutaneVisaSouthern Asia90 days
- Burkina FasoeVisaWestern Africa
- CamerooneVisaMiddle Africa
- ChadeVisaMiddle Africa
- ColombiaeVisaSouth America
- CubaeVisaCaribbean90 days
- DjiboutieVisaEastern Africa90 days
- DR CongoeVisaMiddle Africa7 days
- Equatorial GuineaeVisaMiddle Africa
- GuineaeVisaWestern Africa90 days
- IndiaeVisaSouthern Asia30 days
- IraneVisaSouthern Asia30 days
- IraqeVisaWestern Asia30 days
- Ivory CoasteVisaWestern Africa90 days
- JapaneVisaEastern Asia90 days
- LibyaeVisaNorthern Africa
- MauritaniaeVisaWestern Africa30 days
- MongoliaeVisaEastern Asia30 days
- MyanmareVisaSouth-Eastern Asia28 days
- NigeriaeVisaWestern Africa30 days
- PakistaneVisaSouthern Asia90 days
- Papua New GuineaeVisaMelanesia30 days
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaeVisaWestern Africa90 days
- São Tomé and PríncipeeVisaMiddle Africa
- SerbiaeVisaSoutheast Europe90 days
- SomaliaeVisaEastern Africa30 days
- South SudaneVisaMiddle Africa
- SurinameeVisaSouth America
- SyriaeVisaWestern Asia
- TogoeVisaWestern Africa15 days
- TürkiyeeVisaWestern Asia30 days
- UgandaeVisaEastern Africa90 days
- UkraineeVisaEastern Europe30 days
- VietnameVisaSouth-Eastern Asia
- AlgeriaVisa requiredNorthern Africa
- American SamoaVisa requiredPolynesia
- AndorraVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- ArubaVisa requiredCaribbean
- AustraliaVisa requiredAustralia and New Zealand
- AustriaVisa requiredCentral Europe
- BangladeshVisa requiredSouthern Asia
- BelarusVisa requiredEastern Europe
- BelgiumVisa requiredWestern Europe
- BermudaVisa requiredNorth America
- Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa requiredSoutheast Europe
- BruneiVisa requiredSouth-Eastern Asia
- BulgariaVisa requiredSoutheast Europe
- CanadaVisa requiredNorth America
- Caribbean NetherlandsVisa requiredCaribbean
- Central African RepublicVisa requiredMiddle Africa
- ChinaVisa requiredEastern Asia
- CongoVisa requiredMiddle Africa
- CroatiaVisa requiredSoutheast Europe
- CuraçaoVisa requiredCaribbean
- CyprusVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- Czech RepublicVisa requiredCentral Europe
- DenmarkVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- EritreaVisa requiredEastern Africa
- EstoniaVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- Falkland IslandsVisa requiredSouth America
- Faroe IslandsVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- FinlandVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- FranceVisa requiredWestern Europe
- French GuianaVisa requiredSouth America
- French PolynesiaVisa requiredPolynesia
- GermanyVisa requiredWestern Europe
- GibraltarVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- GreeceVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- GreenlandVisa requiredNorth America
- GuamVisa requiredMicronesia
- HungaryVisa requiredCentral Europe
- IcelandVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- IrelandVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- ItalyVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- KuwaitVisa requiredWestern Asia
- LatviaVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- LebanonVisa requiredWestern Asia
- LiberiaVisa requiredWestern Africa
- LiechtensteinVisa requiredWestern Europe
- LithuaniaVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- LuxembourgVisa requiredWestern Europe
- MaliVisa requiredWestern Africa
- MaltaVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- MayotteVisa requiredEastern Africa
- MexicoVisa requiredNorth America
- MoldovaVisa requiredEastern Europe
- MonacoVisa requiredWestern Europe
- MontenegroVisa requiredSoutheast Europe
- MoroccoVisa requiredNorthern Africa
- NauruVisa requiredMicronesia
- NetherlandsVisa requiredWestern Europe
- New CaledoniaVisa requiredMelanesia
- New ZealandVisa requiredAustralia and New Zealand
- NigerVisa requiredWestern Africa
- North KoreaVisa requiredEastern Asia
- North MacedoniaVisa requiredSoutheast Europe
- Northern Mariana IslandsVisa requiredMicronesia
- NorwayVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- PolandVisa requiredCentral Europe
- PortugalVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- Puerto RicoVisa requiredCaribbean
- RomaniaVisa requiredSoutheast Europe
- Saint Pierre and MiquelonVisa requiredNorth America
- San MarinoVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- Sint MaartenVisa requiredCaribbean
- SlovakiaVisa requiredCentral Europe
- SloveniaVisa requiredCentral Europe
- Solomon IslandsVisa requiredMelanesia
- SpainVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- SudanVisa requiredNorthern Africa
- SwedenVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- SwitzerlandVisa requiredWestern Europe
- TaiwanVisa requiredEastern Asia
- TokelauVisa requiredPolynesia
- TongaVisa requiredPolynesia
- TurkmenistanVisa requiredCentral Asia
- United Arab EmiratesVisa requiredWestern Asia
- United KingdomVisa requiredNorthern Europe
- United StatesVisa requiredNorth America
- United States Virgin IslandsVisa requiredCaribbean
- UzbekistanVisa requiredCentral Asia
- Vatican CityVisa requiredSouthern Europe
- Wallis and FutunaVisa requiredPolynesia
- YemenVisa requiredWestern Asia
- British Indian Ocean TerritoryEntry permit requiredEastern Africa
- South GeorgiaEntry permit requiredAntarctic
- Svalbard and Jan MayenEntry permit requiredNorthern Europe
- United States Minor Outlying IslandsEntry permit requiredNorth America
Questions
How many countries can South African passport holders visit without a visa?
72 countries need no visa at all, and 29 more give a visa at the airport or a quick online permit.
Where does the South Africa passport rank?
#51 of 199 passports, with 91 destinations reachable without applying ahead.
Which big countries can South African passport holders visit visa-free?
Brazil, Russia, Philippines, Thailand Tanzania, and 67 more.
Where can South African passport holders get a visa at the airport?
26 countries, including Indonesia, Ethiopia, Egypt Saudi Arabia, and 22 more.
Which countries let South African passport holders apply online?
41 countries, including India, Pakistan, Nigeria Japan, and 37 more. Always use the official government website.
How many countries need an embassy visa for South African passport holders?
90, including China, United States, Bangladesh Mexico, and 86 more. Apply weeks before you travel.
Can South African passport holders visit the US, UK or Europe without a visa?
United States: visa needed; United Kingdom: visa needed; Canada: visa needed; Australia: visa needed; Japan: evisa; France: visa needed.
Which part of the world is easiest for South African passport holders?
Americas: 63% of its countries let you in without applying first.
Which nearby countries can South African passport holders visit easily?
Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Does the South Africa passport work for official or diplomatic travel?
Official and diplomatic passports often have their own rules. Each destination page shows them where they differ from a regular passport.
Reviewed by @snuck