Visa Openness Index for Africa shows progress

The 2022 report fromVisa Openness Index for Africa shows that African countries have made progress in terms of free movement policies, most of which were severely restricted by the Covid-19 crisis. The report identifies the visa policies adopted by African governments on the basis of three main criteria: visa exemption for nationals of other African countries, the possibility of obtaining a visa on arrival, and the obligation for travelers to obtain a visa before visiting other African countries.

New signs of progress in intra-African trade

In 2022, travel within Africa became more open to African citizens, with fewer overall restrictions. 50 countries maintained or improved their visa openness index compared to 2021, generally after lifting some of the visa policy restrictions put in place during the pandemic.

Marie-Laure Akin-OlugbadeActing Vice-President in charge of Regional Development, Integration and Service Delivery at the African Development Bank Group, said: "The Visa Openness Index for Africa has been tracking visa openness measures as an indicator of free movement since 2016. The 2022 edition highlights three countries that have made significant progress in their visa openness: Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia.”

Reducing obstacles to intra-African mobility

According to Jean-Guy AfrikaActing Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office, "the Visa Openness Index for Africa has tracked changes in visa regimes across the African continent, from before the pandemic to today. For 47 % of intra-African trips, African citizens still need to obtain a visa prior to travel, an improvement on 51 % in 2021.

With the expected growth in intra-African trade thanks to AfCFTA, and ongoing efforts to facilitate the mobility of people, it is likely that more African countries will continue to relax their visa policies and strengthen their economic ties.

About the Visa Openness Index for Africa

Visa Openness Index for Africa assesses the extent to which African countries are open to travelers from other African countries. Published annually since 2016, the index tracks country scores over time to show how national policies are evolving in terms of free movement across Africa. For each country, the IOVA counts the number of other countries whose citizens are required to obtain a visa before travelling there, the number of other countries whose citizens can obtain a visa on arrival, and the number of other countries whose citizens do not require an entry visa. This shows how countries' policies are evolving in terms of freedom of movement on the African continent, and how changes in visa policies can have a significant impact on the ease with which African citizens can travel to other countries, as well as on countries' IOVA rankings.

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