Thailand Offers Visa-Free Entry to Only Citizens of 2 African Countries Under New 2026 Rules
- Thailand revised its visa exemption scheme on 15 September 2026, reducing the number of eligible countries from 93 to 60
- Only two African countries made the new visa-free list, receiving a 15-day entry allowance under the updated regulations
- The reform replaced a temporary 60-day visa-free scheme that had been in place since July 2024, affecting dozens of nationalities
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Thailand's sweeping overhaul of its visa exemption policy, which took effect on 15 September 2026, has left most of Africa on the outside looking in, with only two countries on the continent retaining any form of visa-free access.
Citizens from 60 countries and territories in total now qualify for visa-free entry, with most of those receiving a 30-day allowance.
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African countries eligible for Thailand visa-free entry
Under the revised rules, there are only 2 African nations granted entry without a visa, though their nationals are limited to a stay of 15 days.
The countries are:
- Seychelles
- Mauritius
What changed under Thailand's new visa rules
The overhaul marks a significant departure from the arrangement that had been in place since July 2024, when Thailand allowed ordinary passport holders from 93 countries to enter without a visa for up to 60 days. That temporary scheme has now been replaced by a tighter, permanent framework.
The four Ministry of Interior regulations underpinning the changes were published in Thailand's Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and came into force 15 days later. In total, 21 nationalities that previously enjoyed visa-free access lost that privilege entirely under the new arrangement. Visa on Arrival is now restricted to only three countries.
Long-stay options remain unaffected. Holders of Thailand Privilege, Long-Term Resident, Destination Thailand Visa, retirement, work, student, and marriage visas are not impacted by the September 2026 changes.
Thailand visa-free entry: African travellers largely excluded
For the vast majority of African travellers, the new rules mean that a visit to Thailand will require going through traditional visa application channels rather than arriving visa-free. With Seychelles and Mauritius as the only two African nations to feature on the exemption list, countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and Egypt do not qualify for visa-free entry under the updated scheme.
The 15-day allowance granted to Seychellois and Mauritian passport holders is also notably shorter than the 30-day period extended to most other eligible nationalities, placing African travellers in a distinct tier even where access exists.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
