Kenya holds strongest passport in East Africa in 2025, ranks 69th globally – Henley Index
Despite its dominance in the East African region, Kenya’s passport dropped slightly in the global rankings, falling from 67th in 2024 to 69th in 2025, and its visa-free access dropped from 76 to 71 destinations.
Kenya continues to hold the most powerful passport in East Africa in 2025, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries based on the number of destinations their citizens can access without a visa.
Kenya is ranked 69th globally, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 71 destinations. This places it ahead of all other East African countries, maintaining the lead it held in the previous year.
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In comparison, Tanzania ranks 70th with access to 70 destinations, Uganda is 71st with 67 destinations, Rwanda 73rd with 63, Burundi 86th with 48, while South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo both rank 90th with access to 43 destinations each.
Somalia trails the region, ranked 96th with just 32 visa-free destinations.
Across Africa, Kenya’s passport ranks eighth, following Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa.
Global leader
Seychelles leads at 25th globally with access to 156 destinations, followed by Mauritius at 29th with 151 destinations, and South Africa at 48th with 106.
Other African countries with relatively strong passports include Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, and Morocco.
Globally, Singapore remains at the top, holding the world’s most powerful passport in 2025 with visa-free access to 193 destinations out of a possible 227.
Despite its dominance in the East African region, Kenya’s passport dropped slightly in the global rankings, falling from 67th in 2024 to 69th in 2025, and its visa-free access dropped from 76 to 71 destinations.
This came after a brief rebound last year, when it had risen six spots from 73rd in 2023.
Overall decline
Over the past two decades, the passport has experienced an overall decline, falling from 51st in 2005 to its lowest point at 77th in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kenyan passport holders currently enjoy visa-free access to all East African Community (EAC) member states, including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, and South Sudan.
They also benefit from relatively easy access to several Southern African countries, such as South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Madagascar, Zambia, and Namibia, all of which grant entry without restrictive conditions.
In return, Kenya allows visa-free travel for citizens of more than 40 countries, most of whom can stay for up to 90 days. However, passport holders from South Africa and Malaysia are limited to a maximum stay of 30 days.
The number of countries enjoying visa-free entry into Kenya is expected to rise following a recent policy shift eliminating the need for Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) and visas for all African nationals, a move aimed at boosting intra-African travel and regional integration.
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