Between 2006 and 2026, Cameroon’s passport recorded modest gains in the Henley Passport Index published by Henley & Partners. The country moved up gradually, but the improvement did not significantly expand the international mobility of its citizens.

In 2006, Cameroon reached its highest ranking of the period, placing 70th globally. Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access allowed entry to 26 destinations, among the lowest totals at the time. A decade later, in 2016, the country fell to 92nd place, despite access expanding to 45 destinations, tying with Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.

Subsequent years brought limited change. In 2025, Cameroon remained 92nd with access to 50 destinations, on par with Burundi, Congo and Turkmenistan. In 2026, it rose to 84th place, with access to 47 destinations, reflecting slow and still constrained progress.

Despite the slight improvement, Cameroon continues to lag behind Africa’s strongest passports. Seychelles ranks 25th globally with access to 156 destinations, while South Africa stands 48th with 106. Cameroon also trails Benin (74th, 68 destinations), Gabon (82nd, 60) and Côte d’Ivoire (83rd, 59). Globally, the gap is wider still. Singapore leads with access to 192 destinations, followed by Japan and South Korea with 187. The disparity underscores persistent inequalities in global freedom of movement.

For Cameroonians, the ranking has practical implications. Students, entrepreneurs and professionals often face lengthy and costly visa procedures, restricting exchanges, limiting economic opportunities and constraining academic mobility. The passport’s performance also highlights the limits of visa diplomacy and the relatively small number of reciprocal visa-exemption agreements.

Although the number of accessible destinations has nearly doubled over two decades, rising from 26 to 47, the gain remains modest. Many countries now offer visa-free access to more than 90 or 100 destinations. In an era of deepening globalization, passport strength has become a strategic indicator, closely tied to diplomatic leverage, economic influence and political and security stability — factors that shape a country’s integration into global mobility networks.

Source: Sbbc