New figures from Passport Reports place Lesotho seventh among 54 African countries for passport strength, with the strongest access recorded in the Caribbean and the weakest in Europe and Central Asia.
Passport Reports’ September 2026 data place the Lesotho passport ranking seventh among 54 African countries, with total access to 66.0% of African destinations. The passport has a Mobility Score of 79 and ranks 114th globally, while its global access percentage is 39.9%. Across the worldwide destination set, Lesotho passport holders have 43 visa-free destinations, 29 destinations available through visa on arrival or other simplified entry arrangements, and seven destinations requiring an electronic travel authorization. A visa is required in advance for 119 destinations. Within Africa, the report records 17 visa-free destinations, 15 destinations in the on-arrival or simplified-entry category, three destinations using electronic travel authorization, and 18 destinations requiring a visa. Visa-free access includes South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Seychelles are listed in the electronic-authorization category. Several African destinations in the simplified-entry category also offer electronic visa options, including Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Nigeria and South Sudan.
Regional access varies sharply
The Caribbean is the strongest regional result in the report, with total access of 93.8%. Thirteen Caribbean destinations are visa-free for Lesotho passport holders, Cuba is in the on-arrival or simplified-entry category, Saint Kitts and Nevis uses electronic travel authorization, and only the Dominican Republic is listed as visa required. The report also records visa-free stays of up to 180 days in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Dominica, while Grenada permits 90 days and Saint Lucia 42 days.
Oceania records 57.1% total access, split between four visa-free destinations and four on-arrival or simplified-entry destinations, with six destinations requiring visas. Fiji and Vanuatu are listed with visa-free stays of 120 days, while Papua New Guinea appears under the simplified-entry category with an eVisitor process and a 30-day stay. North America records 56.5% total access, including 11 visa-free destinations, one simplified-entry destination and one electronic-authorization destination, while 10 destinations require visas, including Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The report presents this as a directional access difference without assigning a political or diplomatic explanation.
Asia stands at 36.0% total access. Seven Asian destinations are visa-free, eight are available through on-arrival or simplified procedures, three use electronic travel authorization, and 32 require visas. Malaysia and Singapore are visa-free but carry an Arrival Card requirement, while Nepal is listed in the simplified-entry category with an electronic visa option and a maximum stay of 150 days. Israel, South Korea and Sri Lanka are the three Asian destinations recorded under electronic travel authorization.
Access is more limited in Europe, the Gulf and Central Asia. Europe records 2.1% total access, with Kosovo the only visa-free European destination in the report and 46 destinations requiring visas. The Middle East records 17.6% total access, while the six Gulf countries are all listed as visa required. Central Asia records 0.0% total access, with all five destinations requiring visas. South America stands at 33.3%, with Ecuador, Guyana and Suriname visa-free, Bolivia in the simplified-entry category, and eight destinations requiring visas.
Broader ranking context
The report places Lesotho 105th out of 199 countries in the welcoming ranking, which measures how easily foreign passport holders can enter the country. Lesotho is also ranked 7th out of 54 African Union countries, 37th out of 56 Commonwealth countries, 62nd out of 132 G77 countries and 106th out of 159 World Trade Organization members. In the report’s English-language comparison, Lesotho is 39th out of 60 countries, while it ranks 22nd out of 25 parliamentary constitutional monarchies and third out of four countries using the South African rand.
For inbound travel, Lesotho visa requirements for foreign passport holders are assessed separately from the outbound passport ranking. This distinction is important because the welcoming measure concerns entry into Lesotho, whereas the mobility figures describe where Lesotho passport holders can travel. The two directions are also used in the report’s visa-reciprocity signals.
Visa reciprocity signals
The reciprocity section identifies 40 countries whose passport holders can enter Lesotho visa-free, with electronic travel authorization or with a visa on arrival, while Lesotho passport holders require a visa for those countries. The list includes Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and a number of European countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The report presents this as a directional access difference without assigning a political or diplomatic explanation.
In the opposite direction, the report identifies 38 countries whose passport holders need a visa to enter Lesotho, while Lesotho passport holders can enter those countries visa-free, with electronic travel authorization or through an on-arrival or simplified process. Examples include Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Jordan, Kosovo, Nepal, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Suriname, Togo and Viet Nam.
Taken together, the September data show Lesotho’s strongest relative access in Africa and the Caribbean, with more restricted access across Europe, the Gulf and Central Asia. The overall Mobility Score remains 79, representing 43 visa-free, 29 on-arrival or simplified-entry and seven electronic-authorization destinations, while 119 destinations require an advance visa. Regional results and reciprocity signals therefore add important context to the global rank of 114th and the 39.9% global access rate.
Lesotho passport access by region, September 2026
RegionTotal accessVisa-freeOn-arrival/simplifiedeTAVisa required
Caribbean93.8%13111
Africa66.0%1715318
Oceania57.1%4406
North America56.5%111110
Asia36.0%78332
South America33.3%3108
Middle East17.6%–––6
Europe2.1%10046
Central Asia0.0%0005
Global total39.9%43297119
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