South Sudan ranks 16th in welcoming-country ranking as passport mobility falls
South Sudan ranks 16th out of 199 countries in the 2026 welcoming-country ranking, which measures how easily foreign passport holders can enter the country, according to new data from Passport Reports.
The ranking is separate from South Sudan’s outbound passport performance. The country’s passport ranks 176th globally, with a Mobility Score of 48 and facilitated access to 24.2% of destinations.
South Sudanese passport holders can travel to 17 destinations without a visa, while 27 destinations offer visa-on-arrival or other simplified entry arrangements. Four destinations require an electronic travel authorization, while 150 destinations require an advance visa.
The 2026 ranking places South Sudan 52nd among 54 African passports and 52nd among the 54 African Union countries included in the comparison. It ranks 58th among 60 countries where English is an official language, 20th among 21 OPEC+ countries and 122nd among 132 G77 countries.
Africa provides the widest regional access for South Sudanese passport holders, with a facilitated-access rate of 49.1%.
The report lists nine African destinations as visa-free, 14 under visa-on-arrival or simplified arrangements and three through electronic travel authorization. Twenty-seven African destinations require an advance visa.
Among the visa-free destinations in Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda allow listed stays of up to 180 days. Benin, Botswana, Burundi, The Gambia and Tanzania allow stays of up to 90 days, while Togo allows up to 30 days.
The report also lists Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Seychelles among African destinations requiring electronic authorization or registration. Several countries classified under visa-on-arrival or simplified entry also offer eVisa options, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Outside Africa, access varies significantly by region. The report records facilitated access rates of 37.5% for the Caribbean, 28.6% for Oceania, 21.7% for North America, 22% for Asia, 16.7% for South America and 11.8% for the Middle East.
Europe, the Gulf countries and Central Asia each record a facilitated-access rate of zero. The report says all 47 European destinations, six Gulf destinations and five Central Asian destinations require South Sudanese passport holders to obtain a visa before travel.
Major destinations requiring advance visas include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and countries within the Schengen area.
The report also distinguishes between outbound mobility and the entry rules South Sudan applies to foreign travelers.
Its reciprocity data identify 150 countries whose passport holders can enter South Sudan visa-free, with electronic permission or on arrival, while South Sudanese passport holders require visas to travel to those countries. The report identifies no country with the reverse arrangement in its dataset.
The 2026 Mobility Score also represents a decline from the previous year. South Sudan recorded a score of 43 and a global rank of 158 in 2020. The score rose to 46 in 2021 and 54 in 2022, remaining at 54 through 2024.
In 2025, the country’s Mobility Score stood at 52, with a global ranking of 166. In 2026, the score fell to 48 and the ranking dropped to 176.
Overall, the report shows that South Sudanese passport holders have facilitated access to 48 destinations through visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival or simplified arrangements, and electronic travel authorization, while 150 destinations require an advance visa.
The report’s 16th-place welcoming-country ranking reflects a different measure — the ease with which foreign passport holders can enter South Sudan — and should not be confused with the country’s 176th-place outbound passport ranking.
