Nigeria’s Passport Drops to 181st in Global Ranking

Nigeria’s passport has fallen to 181st position out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, down from 90th in July 2026, amid a reported reduction in visa-free travel destinations.

According to data published on IziVisa.com, Nigerian passport holders can travel to 24 countries without a visa, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries and access 43 destinations through electronic visas.

The latest ranking represents a significant decline from July 2026, when Nigeria ranked 90th and its passport offered visa-free access to 44 destinations.

The reported visa-free score has dropped by 20 destinations, highlighting the reduced number of countries Nigerians can visit without securing a visa beforehand.

IziVisa explained on its website that its passport rankings are based on the number of destinations passport holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance.

The index considers different categories of travel access, including visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas, to assess the international mobility available to passport holders.

The United Arab Emirates leads the 2026 IziVisa ranking, with its passport providing access to 185 of 198 documented destinations through visa-free entry, visas on arrival or electronic visas.

Switzerland ranks second, offering access to 120 destinations without a visa, 26 destinations with visas on arrival and 37 through electronic visas.

Other countries featuring prominently in the ranking include Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland.

The differences between the highest- and lowest-ranked passports highlight the disparity in international travel access. IziVisa uses the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa as a measure of freedom of movement.

Henley Index Places Nigeria 90th

Separately, the July 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index ranked Nigeria 90th out of 199 passports assessed worldwide, with visa-free access to 44 destinations.

The ranking, released by Henley & Partners, represented a one-place decline from Nigeria’s 89th position in the April 2026 edition, although its visa-free score remained unchanged at 44 destinations.

According to Henley & Partners, the index marked the organisation’s 20th anniversary and assessed 199 passports against 227 travel destinations using data from the International Air Transport Association.

Among African countries, South Africa ranked 49th globally, with visa-free access to 101 destinations. Botswana followed in 61st position, with access to 81 destinations, while Morocco ranked 67th, with access to 71 destinations.

Kenya occupied 68th position, with access to 70 destinations, while Ghana ranked 70th, with a visa-free score of 67.

Nigeria ranked alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan in the Henley index, with each passport providing visa-free access to 44 destinations.

However, the latest IziVisa ranking differs substantially from Nigeria’s July position in the Henley index. The two indices use different methodologies and destination coverage, meaning their rankings should not be treated as directly equivalent.