Nigeria falls to 181st on IziVisa index as visa-free access drops to 24 destinations

Nigeria has been placed 181st out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, with holders of the Nigerian passport able to reach only 24 destinations without securing a visa beforehand.

That is a sharp drop from July 2026, when Nigeria ranked 90th and passport holders had visa-free access to 44 destinations, according to IziVisa data.

What the numbers show

Beyond the 24 visa-free destinations, Nigerians can obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries and apply for electronic visas to visit 43 others. IziVisa assesses passports on the number of destinations accessible through visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas.

The United Arab Emirates topped the ranking, with its passport providing access to 185 of 198 destinations. Switzerland placed second, offering visa-free access to 120 destinations, visas on arrival in 26 countries and electronic visas for another 37 destinations. Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland also featured among the highest-ranked passports.

Henley tells a different story

A separate index points the other way. The Henley Passport Index, published in October 2026 by Henley & Partners, said Nigeria rose to 92nd place from 94th in October 2025. That index uses data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to assess access across 227 travel destinations.

Nigeria's passport ranking has moved widely over the years. It stood at 62nd in 2006, slipped to 76th in 2010 and 87th in 2012, then improved to 78th in 2013 before falling to 95th in 2015. The country ranked 94th in 2018, 95th in 2019 and 94th in 2020. It dropped to 103rd in 2021, then improved to 98th in 2022, 97th in 2023 and 95th in 2024. It was 94th in 2025 before rising to 92nd in 2026.

The IziVisa and Henley indices use different methodologies and cover different numbers of destinations, so their rankings are not directly comparable. Nigerian travellers should confirm entry requirements with the relevant embassies or immigration authorities before travelling, particularly to destinations that require electronic visas or visas on arrival.

US widens visa renewal window

In a related development, the US Mission extended the eligibility window for nonimmigrant visa renewals from 24 months to 48 months. Applicants whose previous US visas expired within the last 48 months, or are set to expire within the next three months, may be eligible to renew without an interview. The mission also said it was opening hundreds of appointment slots for Nigerians seeking to renew their visas.

For Nigerian businesses, weaker visa-free access means more paperwork, embassy appointments and travel costs before staff can attend meetings, trade fairs and supplier visits abroad.