Visa Openness within AMU
In 2025, average visa openness in AMU fell to its lowest level since the first AVOI index in 2016. The decline is the largest of any region, leaving AMU with an average score of 0.166, which is considerably lower than the next lowest-placed REC, ECCAS (0.327). In 2025, three of AMU’s five Member States regressed on visa openness, with Mauritania implementing 45 changes, with its general policy moving from visa on arrival to visa required ahead of travel, albeit with citizens of Chad now receiving visa-free status. Morocco made eight changes whereby citizens from the eight currently visa-free countries require an ETA ahead of travel, however this measure is of a temporary nature (September 2025 to January 2026) and falls outside the AVOI data collection period. Algeria and Tunisia each made one change (in both instances, from visa-free to visa-required, applicable towards citizens of Morocco and Benin respectively), while Libya remained unchanged but already applies a visa-required policy from all but the citizens of two African countries (Algeria and Tunisia)
Reciprocity within AMU
AMU’s founding treaty sets out, as one of its core objectives, for its Member States to “work for the progressive realization of the free movement of persons, services, goods and capital”. Implementation has been limited, and intra-Maghreb travel remains restrictive. Only half of intra-regional travel currently offers visa-free terms, with Algeria and Tunisia’s largely visa-free policies towards other AMU Member States being reciprocated by three of the four remaining Member States.
Morocco meanwhile has introduced a temporary requirement for an ETA, applicable to eight otherwise visa-free countries, including fellow AMU Member States Algeria and Tunisia. This suspends visa-free travel and is linked to the country’s imminent hosting of the 2025 African Cup of Nations football tournament. As its introduction falls outside of the data collection window and is of a temporary nature, it has no impact on the regional score. Yet, it is an example of movement restrictions, enabled through the application of ETA requirements.