Kenyan Passport Ranked 7th Most Powerful in Africa

Kenya’s passport has risen from position 8 to 7 in Africa’s passport power list. It has also climbed an impressive 6 positions globally, to settle at position 67 up from 73, according to the Henley Passport Index Report released last week.

This improvement comes after Nairobi agreed with South Africa, Comoros, Djibouti and Eritrea to grant visa-free entry to Kenyan passport holders. Senegal is expected to follow suit shortly.

Kenyans now enjoy visa-free access (or visa on arrival) in 76 nations, up from 73.

However, the Kenyan passport has a global reach of only 39%. There are still 153 destinations (61% of the globe) in which Kenya passport holders either need a physical visa to enter or an eVisa (i.e., visa-required countries). Thus, a Kenyan passport holder still requires a visa to travel to most of the world.

Mauritius has the number one passport in Africa followed by South Africa and Namibia. The number one passport in the world is Singapore, followed by Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland, France, Japan, and the US. Afghanistan’s passport ranks lowest below Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.

ONLINE APPLICATION

Electronic visas (eVisas) and electronic travel authorizations (ETAs) are available in many countries around the world that now process visas and visa waivers online.

Over 20 different countries have either an ETA or an eVisa that Kenyan nationals can apply for by completing and submitting a simple online form.

If a destination also has the option of a visa on arrival, apply for the visa (online visa or ETA) prior to traveling. If there are problems approving the visa, applying for an eVisa in advance allows time to solve the issue, whereas waiting to apply for a visa on arrival could result in the traveler being denied entry to the country.

Most eVisas and ETAs allow Kenyan visitors to stay in a foreign country for a certain period. For longer stays, it may be necessary to go to an embassy and apply for a different type of visa.