- The Kenyan passport has climbed five places to rank 68th globally in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, granting holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 69 countries worldwide
- This improvement from 73rd place in 2025 signals a stabilisation of the local travel document’s strength following years of fluctuating performance
- Kenya now ranks 10th in Africa, while Seychelles continues to lead the continent with visa-free access to 154 destinations
The Kenyan passport has strengthened its global standing in 2026, climbing five places to 68th worldwide.
Passengers arrive at the passport control section at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and a Kenyan passport (inset) used for illustration. Photo: Simon Maina/H&P.
This is despite a marginal decline in visa-free destinations from 70 to 69, according to new rankings from the Henley Passport Index.
The improvement marks a reversal from last year’s slide when the passport fell six places to 73rd position, extending a multi-year period of ranking fluctuations driven by tightening visa regimes in key global regions.
According to the Henley Passport Index, which evaluates “how much effort a traveller must make before departure to be authorised to travel,” the rankings factor in visa-free and visa-on-arrival access using exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Which countries can Kenyans visit without a visa? Notably, visa-free, visa-on-arrival, and eTA rules can be updated, amended, or adjusted at any time due to changes in diplomatic, security, health, migration, or reciprocal policies. Based on the Henley Passport Index data, here is the complete list of 69 destinations Kenyan passport holders can access without a prior visa:
