By the end of the year, Kenya will abolish visa requirements for all African visitors.

Visa-free travel within the continent has been a goal of the African Union (AU) for the past decade. While there are regional agreements and bilateral arrangements, progress towards no restrictions has been slow. Only Seychelles, Gambia and Benin offer visa-free entry to all African citizens, according to a report sponsored by the AU in 2022. But according to Africa’s Visa Openness Index – which measures the extent to which each country in Africa is open to visitors from other African countries – most countries are making progress towards simplifying entry procedures and removing restrictions for some other countries. If removing all visa restrictions is currently a step too far, the Visa Openness Index report recommends a number of other measures. These include reducing fees, making visa-on-arrival standard for African visitors and introducing a secure e-visa system.