Namibia drops on visa openness index

Namibia has dropped two places on the 2018 Africa Visa Openness Index and now ranks 38th out of 54 countries on the continent.The index, which debuted in 2016, assesses the progress African countries have made in relaxing their visa regimes. It analyses visa requirements set by each member state of the African Union (AU) for other member states seeking to enter their borders. In 2016, Namibia also held the 38th spot.The report is compiled by the African Development Bank (AfDB) along with the African Union Commission and the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Africa.Benin joined Seychelles at the top of the index for the most progress in opening up its borders to African travellers, moving up from 27th place in 2017 to first place this year.Zimbabwe moved into the top 20 with its introduction of a visa-on-arrival policy for SADC members.Rwanda, Togo, Guinea Bissau, Uganda and Ghana are also among the top African countries for visa openness, while Sudan and Equatorial Guinea rank the lowest.OverviewOverall, when compared to 2017, Africans do not need a visa to travel to 25% of other African countries. In 2017 it was 22%. They need visas to travel to 51% of other African countries, down from 54%, the report stated.“However, the fact that Africans still require visas to travel to just over half of other African countries shows that more progress is needed to realise free movement of people continent-wide,” the AfDB said.As infrastructure expands across Africa, and trade and investment opportunities become available, Africans will need to travel with greater ease, it continued. Solutions such as the African passport, visa-free regional blocs, multi-year visas, or visa-on-arrival schemes should continue to be promoted.The AfDB stated that the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Single African Air Transport Market were major milestones in the creation of a regulatory environment that promotes air connectivity and makes it less expensive for Africans to travel within Africa. – Own report and Nampa

Namibia drops on visa openness index

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