Visa-free countries for Malians in 2026: the full list

With a Malian passport you can visit 83 countries and territories without going to an embassy. 33 of them are fully visa-free: you show your passport at the border and walk in.

The list below uses the same data as our Mali passport page, so the two always match. When we confirm a rule change with an official source, both update together.

Four ways in without an embassy

• Visa-free: no application. Show your passport, and usually a return ticket, at the border.
• Visa on arrival: you get the visa at the airport or border when you land. A fee may apply.
• eTA: a short online travel authorisation, applied for before you fly.
• eVisa: a full visa, but you apply on the official government website. No embassy visit.

All four count as "no embassy". Only the last two need an online application before you travel.

The full list for Malian passports

What changed for Malians in 2025 and 2026

Visa lists age quickly. These are the changes we have confirmed since the start of 2025:

• United States: entry suspended (since 1 January 2026). Proclamation 10998 fully suspends entry for Malian citizens, both immigrants and visitors. The exceptions include visas issued before that date, US permanent residents, dual nationals travelling on another passport, and diplomats. See the US travel ban explained.
• Kenya: no eTA, up to 60 days (since 30 May 2025). Malians are among the African nationals exempt from Kenya's electronic travel authorisation. See who can skip Kenya's eTA.
• Thailand: e-Visa (since 1 January 2025). Thailand's e-Visa is open to applicants from every country, so Malians can apply online at thaievisa.go.th instead of visiting an embassy.
• Bolivia: visa before travel (since 25 July 2025). Bolivia stopped issuing visas on arrival. Get the visa in advance from a Bolivian embassy or consulate.
• Nicaragua: consulted visa (since 16 February 2026). Mali is not on the exempt list of Nicaragua's Disposición 002-2026, so Nicaragua's migration authority must approve your visa before you travel. See Nicaragua's new visa list.

Hold a UK or Schengen visa? More doors open

Some countries relax their rules for Malians who already hold a valid UK or Schengen visa or residence permit. A Schengen visa opens 15 extra destinations, a UK visa 8 and a Schengen residence permit 11. These are the extra destinations a Schengen visa opens:

Each country has its own conditions, such as a multiple-entry visa or one you have already used. They are listed with their official sources on the held-visa pages: Schengen visa, UK visa, Schengen residence permit, US visa, US green card and UK residence permit.

Changing planes on the way

Cheap flights from Bamako often connect in Europe or the Gulf. For Malians:

• Schengen area: you can change planes airside in most Schengen airports without a visa. The exceptions are Czechia, France, Germany and Spain, which require an airport transit visa from Malians. You don't need it if you hold a valid Schengen visa or residence permit, a valid visa for Canada, Japan or the US, or a US, Canadian, Japanese or UK residence permit.
• United Kingdom: Malians do not need a transit visa to change planes airside, without passing border control.
• United States: there is no airside transit, and entry for Malian citizens is suspended. Avoid connections in the US unless one of the exceptions above applies to you.
• Canada: Malians need a Canadian visa to transit, unless they are US permanent residents.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore are simpler: no passport needs a visa to stay in their transit areas. Before you book a cheap connection, check where it stops. The "Changing planes" section of the Mali passport page keeps these rules up to date.

How we keep this list honest

Our base dataset is a public list of visa requirements for every passport. We compare the Malian passport with lists that cite IATA Timatic, the database airlines check at boarding. Whenever they disagree, we change our data only after confirming the rule with an official government source or a legal text. A few destinations are still being checked, so treat any single entry as a starting point and confirm it before you travel.

Rules can change without notice. Before you book, confirm with the destination's official immigration website or embassy.