Nigeria’s passport ranking has dropped sharply to 181st out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, with visa-free access reportedly falling from 44 destinations to 24.
According to data published on IziVisa.com, Nigerian passport holders can enter 24 countries without a visa, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries and access 43 countries through electronic visas.
The latest ranking marks a significant change from July 2026, when Nigeria ranked 90th in the index and its passport offered visa-free access to 44 destinations.
IziVisa explained that its ranking assesses passports based on the travel access they provide, including visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas.
The United Arab Emirates topped the 2026 IziVisa ranking, with its passport providing access to 185 of 198 destinations through visa-free entry, visas on arrival or electronic visas.
Switzerland ranked second, with access to 120 destinations without a visa, 26 offering visas on arrival and 37 accessible through electronic visas.
Other countries featuring prominently in the ranking included Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland.
The index highlights differences in international mobility, using the number of destinations passport holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance as a key measure.
Separately, the July 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index ranked Nigeria 90th out of 199 passports, with visa-free access to 44 destinations.
The ranking, published by Henley & Partners, represented a one-place decline from Nigeria’s 89th position in April 2026, although its visa-free score remained unchanged.
The index 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 place with access to 81 destinations, while Morocco ranked 67th with access to 71.
Kenya placed 68th, 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 July Henley index, with each passport providing visa-free access to 44 destinations.
The reported IziVisa ranking differs substantially from Nigeria’s July position in the Henley index.
However, the two indices use different methodologies and destination coverage, so their rankings should not be treated as directly equivalent.
