The German Federal Foreign Office has officially released its updated visa-free travel roster for 2026, confirming that citizens from 62 countries, including 2 African countries, can enter Germany without a short-stay visa.
The two African countries that have visa-free access to Germany in 2026 are Mauritius and the Seychelles.
While the policy opens massive doors for island passport holders, the remaining 52 African countries—including economic powerhouses like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt—will still require a rigorous Schengen visa application process to cross German borders this year.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that both Mauritius and Seychelles continue to dominate global passport power indexes within the region, maintaining seamless diplomatic ties with the European Union.
Mauritian passport holders can enter Germany completely visa-free for tourism, family visits, or business meetings. As one of Africa’s strongest economies, Mauritius enjoys excellent mobility benefits globally.
Renowned for its own strict reciprocal tourism access rules, Seychelles joins Mauritius as the only other African nation enjoying unrestricted, short-term entry into Europe’s largest economy.
Meanwhile, the German Federal Foreign Office noted that citizens of countries with visa-free access to Germany don’t get a free pass to move to the country permanently.
The German Federal Foreign Office has outlined strict parameters for visa-exempt travelers:
The 90/180 Rule: Travelers are permitted to stay for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day window.
Permitted Activities: Entry is strictly limited to tourism, leisure, attending business conferences, or visiting friends and family.
Employment Ban: Visa-free entry explicitly does not authorize the traveler to take up paid employment or professional work of any kind in Germany.
The countries whose citizens can travel to Germany without a visa for short stays are:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong (SAR passport holders)
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Macao (SAR passport holders)
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Nicaragua
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Taiwan (passport holders with an identity card number)
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
On the other hand, citizens of 102 countries and territories require a visa to enter Germany.
They are Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, and Nigeria.
Others are China, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, and Libya.
The rest are Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, the Palestinian territories, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
