Eswatini
Eswatini passport ranking
The Swati passport is currently ranked 68th place on the Guide Passport Index. It provides visa-free access to 75 destinations. This gives it an overall medium-low mobility score. Swati passport holders have visa-free access and visas on arrival to countries such as Malaysia, Senegal, Singapore and Ecuador. Swati nationals require a visa to enter about 154 destinations in the world. Some of the destinations for which a prior visa is required are the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan.
Eswatini Passport Ranking
The Eswatini passport ranking relative to other global passports is calculated by adding up the number of countries that allow Eswatini passport holders to enter without a visa (i.e. visa-free countries) and those that allow Eswatini passport holders to enter by obtaining a visa on arrival (i.e. visa-on-arrival countries) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). There are currently a total of 49 Eswatini passport visa-free countries, 24 Eswatini visa-on-arrival countries, and 2 eTA destinations.
Altogether, Eswatini passport holders can enter a total of 75 destinations—either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA. As a result, the Eswatini passport ranks 68 in the world.
Separate from these Eswatini visa-free countries and visa-on-arrival countries, there are 154 additional destinations which Eswatini passport holders either need a physical visa to enter or an eVisa (i.e. visa required countries).
About Eswatini
The Kingdom of Eswatini is a former British colony consisting of 4 regions. The landlocked nation is completely surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. The most important regions are Mazini and Hhohho. Eswatini has a surface area of only 17,364 square kilometers. This makes it the 7th smallest country in Africa. Its climate varies from temperate to tropical. Its terrain is characterized by mostly hills and mountains and few sloping plains.
Eswatini has an overall population of over 1.1 million people. This makes it the 49th most populated country in Africa. The capital of the nation is Mbabanei, which is also the most populous city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Other major cities are Nhlangano and Siteki. The largest and only international airport is King Mswati III International Airport (SHO). The airport connects Eswatini to only one destination, which is Johannesburg.
Swati culture is influenced by traditions and not much has changed over the years with most of the population living in homesteads with their families. The official religions are a mix between indigenous beliefs and Christianity. The official languages are English and Siswati. The legal system is a civil, common and customary law. The government type is a unitary absolute monarchy. King Mswati III is the chief of state and the head of government is elected Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini. The elections take place every 5 years.
The official currency of the country is the Swazi lilangeni (SZL) with the current exchange rate being SZL 16.9 to the USD, pegged to the South African rand. The country has an open economy, generating a GDP of approximately $12 billion. Its citizens have a per capita income of $11,089. The GDP is mostly made up of 2 key sectors, which are industry and services. The country heavily relies on trade and import taxes from its neighbor South Africa. The most important exports products are sugar, soft drinks concentrates, cotton yarn and citrus.
Eswatini is filled with a variety of natural tourism destinations and attractions. It is known for the extremely diverse wildlife and many accessible national parks. It has no UNESCO world heritage sites. Some of the major destinations include the Hlane Royal National Park, Mbuluzi Game Reserve, the Swazi Market, the Mkhaya Game reserve and the National Museum. The nation has a total of over 950,000 tourists visiting every year. The majority of which are originating from the neighboring countries and Europe.
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