Seychelles has long been recognized for having the strongest passport in Africa, allowing its citizens visa exemptions for a large number of countries. Recently, the list of countries granting visa-free access to Seychellois citizens has grown even longer with the addition of Benin.
This development came about during a bilateral meeting at the 19th Summit of the Francophonie, which took place in France from October 4-5. Seychelles’ Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sylvestre Radegonde, signed the visa exemption agreement with Benin. The Summit, the highest decision-making body of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), brought together leaders from French-speaking nations to address key issues like international cooperation, sustainable development, and ongoing crises in countries like Lebanon, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As it stands, Seychelles holds the top spot for the most influential passport in Africa, according to Henley & Partners’ 2024 passport rankings. These rankings, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), measure passport strength by the number of countries offering visa-free access. Globally, Seychelles ranks 26th, with its citizens able to travel to 156 destinations without a visa.
The journey to this impressive position has been steady over the years. Back in 2006, Seychelles ranked 46th in the world for passport power, and it has climbed significantly since then. With the new agreement with Benin, there’s potential for the ranking to improve even further, underscoring the island nation’s growing influence on the global stage.
