Kenya has surged 43 places to rank third in Africa’s 2025 Visa Openness Index, reflecting sweeping reforms to its travel authorisation system and a decisive shift towards visa-free entry for most African citizens.
The latest data shows how Nairobi responded to public complaints last year, following widespread frustrations with the electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system launched in early 2024.
At the time, all foreign travellers were required to apply for an eTA 72 hours before departure, at a cost of $30 for most. Critics labelled it “a visa by another name” and argued it prevented spontaneous travel.
As a result, Kenya ranked 46th in Africa, among the worst performers on the Visa Openness Index, prepared annually by the African Development Bank and the African Union Commission.
Twelve months later, Kenya has climbed 43 places in the 2025 Visa Openness Index (AVOI). The Index measures how accessible African countries are to visitors from across the continent.
Today, the eTA system exempts citizens from 52 African countries. Only Libyans and Somalis are required to obtain eTAs, though they are not charged.
Read: Kenya exempts more countries from eTA rulesThe report notes: “Kenya climbed 43 positions and is now almost completely visa-free, in contrast to Somalia, which in most travel scenarios now requires an e-Visa, where previously visitors could obtain a visa on arrival.”It adds: “With this latest development, Kenya has set an important marker on easing the movement of persons, reinforcing its leading role as a hub that connects inland populations with Kenya’s cities, transport routes and seaports.”The top 10 visa-open countries in Africa in 2025 are: The Gambia, Rwanda, Kenya, Benin, Ghana, Cabo Verde, Mozambique, Mauritius, Burundi and Sierra Leone.“Africans move, and mostly within Africa. It is here that most Africans see opportunities for their dreams to materialise. And it is here that we must facilitate, with more vigour, the pace of visa-free mobility,” said Dr Joy Kategekwa, Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the AfDB.“A visa-free Africa is good economic policy. Our continent must be driven by trade and industry, and at the heart of success is the ability of Africans to move to where they are needed, to where opportunity lies.”The 10th AVOI report, released last Friday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, evaluates African countries’ accessibility based on visa policies.
It is the first of ten Africa Visa Openness Reports to measure how open countries are by examining visa requirements for citizens of other African states. It highlights which countries facilitate travel and how.
Of the 54 countries on the continent, 17 improved their AVOI score in 2025, building on the 15 that showed improvement in 2023.
According to the 10th AVOI report, Kenya has made significant strides towards visa openness over the past year, shifting to a visa-free regime for African travellers.
In 2024, while waiving visa requirements for most African countries, it implemented an eTA. For many previously visa-exempt countries, this represented an additional administrative burden and cost, effectively requiring an e-Visa prior to travel. Initially, only some EAC member states were exempt from the eTA process.‘Visa openness’ refers to the ease with which travellers can obtain authorisation to enter a country, subject to final determination by immigration officials. The more visa-open a country, the easier it is for visitors to gain entry.
However, countries ranked as easy to access may not be entirely free of obstacles. Hidden fees or mandatory documents, such as the yellow fever certificate, often remain.
Tanzania recently added a $90 charge on air tickets, beyond the usual taxes, for airport development. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda all require East African citizens to carry a valid yellow fever certificate.
The Index had earlier categorised the chargeable eTA as an e-Visa rather than an alternative travel document. Rwanda and The Gambia remained top of the list, even though The Gambia still charges travellers a $40 airport levy, payable on arrival.
Benin dropped to fourth place following the recent introduction of visas for citizens of five countries.“The new rating shows how much Kenya is improving and determined to be one of the most open countries, especially after the President announced that it is visa-free,” said Kenya’s Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano.“First, we exempted all African countries, except the two based on security protocols, and then we expedited eTA processing to a maximum of 72 hours. We also introduced an instant service for a small fee.”Other reforms included the addition of foreign languages to the application system. “We incorporated all UN languages. Our system was upgraded to ensure availability, and this year we have not had an outage or interruption. We continue to improve,” she said.
Read: Minister: This is what eTA has cost KenyaMiano added she would follow up with the Ministry of Health on a more flexible yellow fever certificate policy: “I will take it up with the CS for Health because we don’t want to win on one hand and lose on the other.”Visa-free reciprocity within the East African Community (EAC) now stands at 57 percent (up from 54 percent in 2024), the second highest among Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
This incremental change reflects Kenya’s move to a visa-free regime, although all EAC partner states apart from Somalia already qualified for preferential access.
Free movement of persons within the EAC is enshrined in the region’s founding objectives and policies, including the Treaty Establishing the EAC (Article 104) and the Protocol on the Establishment of the EAC Common Market (Article 5).
Top visa-open countries in Africa, 2025The GambiaRwandaKenyaBeninGhanaCabo VerdeMozambiqueMauritiusBurundiSierra Leone Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
