Kenya has been ranked among the lowest African nations for providing visa-free access to travelers from other African countries, according to the Africa Visa Openness Index 2024. The index evaluates how open African countries are to visitors from within the continent.
Kenya placed 46th out of 54 countries, scoring 0.113. Comparatively, its East African neighbors performed better, with Tanzania and Uganda ranked 20th and 26th, respectively. Ethiopia achieved a notable 0.732 score, securing the 19th spot, while Somalia was ranked 17th.
Kenya ranks 46th, trailing Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia in visa openness
The report highlighted that Uganda and Tanzania improved their rankings by easing visa access to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia. In contrast, Kenya’s ranking suffered due to recent visa policy changes requiring travelers to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
Although President William Ruto announced the removal of visa requirements for African visitors, the ETA system was introduced to screen travelers entering Kenya. East African Community (EAC) member states were exempted from this requirement. However, the report stated, "Kenya's requirement of an ETA prior to travel for most African travelers lowered its score, despite exemptions for EAC Member States."
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Between 2016 and 2024, five countries made significant improvements in the index: Benin (rising from 31st to 1st), Ethiopia (46th to 19th), Sierra Leone (32nd to 13th), Nigeria (25th to 6th), and Gambia (18th to 1st). Four countries—Benin, Seychelles, Gambia, and Rwanda—tied for the top position with a perfect score of 1.0.
Introduced in early 2024, Kenya’s ETA system requires travelers to pay a fee of at least Ksh. 4,000, a move that sparked criticism from other African countries that allow Kenyan citizens visa-free entry. The government defended the system, stating that it aims to streamline the entry process and reduce delays at immigration and health checks upon arrival.
