By Haddy Touray
The Gambian passport ranks 16th among 54 African passports in 2026, with a mobility score of 71, according to data from Passport Reports.
The ranking places The Gambia 127th globally, with Gambian passport holders enjoying simplified access to 71 destinations, representing a worldwide access rate of 35.9%.
The mobility score comprises 43 visa-free destinations, 25 destinations offering visa-on-arrival or other simplified entry arrangements, and three destinations accessible through electronic travel authorisation (eTA).
A total of 127 destinations require Gambian passport holders to obtain a visa before travel.
The figures place The Gambia among Africa’s top 20 passports, although its global position remains significantly lower.
The country also ranks 16th among African Union members and 20th among the 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Within other international groupings, The Gambia ranks 44th among 56 Commonwealth countries, 74th among 132 G77 members and 119th among 159 World Trade Organization members.
Mobility score declines
The 2026 mobility score represents a decline from the previous three years, when the Gambian passport recorded a score of 74.
The historical data show the score rising from 58 in 2020 to 63 in 2021 and 72 in 2022. It reached 74 in 2023 and remained at that level in 2024 and 2025 before falling to 71 in 2026.
The country’s global ranking also fluctuated during the period, moving from 107th in 2020 to 120th in 2021, 127th in 2022 and 2023, 122nd in 2024, 118th in 2025 and 127th in 2026.
Passport Reports calculates mobility scores based on visa-free access, visa-on-arrival or comparable simplified entry arrangements and eTA access.
Where passports have equal scores, the methodology compares the number of visa-free destinations, followed by eTA and visa-on-arrival access.
Wide range of simplified-access destinations
Gambian passport holders have visa-free access to a number of African countries, including Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda.
Outside Africa, visa-free destinations include The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Malaysia, Micronesia, Singapore, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Vanuatu.
Some destinations impose additional entry requirements despite being classified under simplified access arrangements.
The arrival-based category includes countries such as Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Laos, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal and Vietnam, where visa-on-arrival or eVisa arrangements are available.
Major destinations require advance visas
Despite the range of simplified-access destinations, Gambian passport holders continue to require visas before travelling to major destinations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the Schengen Area.
The report lists 127 destinations in the advance-visa category.
The Passport Reports data also separately rank The Gambia 59th among 199 countries in terms of inbound welcoming. This measure concerns the ease with which foreign passport holders can enter The Gambia and is distinct from the country’s outbound passport mobility ranking.
The 2026 figures therefore show that while the Gambian passport remains among Africa’s stronger passports in terms of mobility, its score has declined by three points from the 74 recorded between 2023 and 2025.