Visa requirements for United States citizens

Visa requirements for United States citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states that are imposed on citizens of the United States.

As of 2024, holders of a United States passport may travel to 188 countries and territories without a travel visa, or with a visa on arrival. The United States passport currently ranks[Note 1] 7th in terms of travel freedom, according to the Henley Passport Index.[1] It is also ranked 7th by the Global Passport Power Rank.[2]

Visa requirements map[edit]

Visa requirements for United States citizens holding ordinary passports
  United States
  Compact of free association
  Visa not required / ETA
  Visa on arrival
  eVisa
  Visa available both on arrival or online
  Visa required
  Travel restricted (either by local law or US regulations)

Visa requirements[edit]

General visa requirements of sovereign countries towards United States citizens:

Territories or administrative subdivisions with different visa policies[edit]

Visa requirements for United States citizens for visits to various territories, disputed areas, partially recognized countries not mentioned in the list above, recognized administrative subdivisions that operate on different visa policies and restricted zones:

Visitor to Visa requirement Allowed stay Notes (excluding departure fees)
Africa
 Eritrea outside Asmara Travel permit required
  • Travel Permit for Foreigners is required to travel outside of the capital.[477]
 Ascension Island eVisa[478][479] 3 months
  • 3 months within any one-year period.
 Saint Helena Visa Free with Payment
  • Visitor's Pass granted on arrival.[480]
 Tristan da Cunha Permission required
 Mayotte Visa not required[482] 90 days
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Undefined
 Somaliland Visa on arrival 30 days
  • Obtainable on arrival or at the Somaliland Mission in Alexandria, VA.[483]
 Réunion Visa not required[484] 90 days
 Sudan outside Khartoum Travel permit required
  • All foreigners traveling more than 25 kilometers outside of Khartoum must obtain a travel permit.
Sudan Darfur Travel permit required
  • Separate travel permit is required.[485]
Asia
 British Indian Ocean Territory Special permit required
  • Special permit required.[486]
China Hainan Visa not required[487] 30 days
 Hong Kong Visa not required 90 days[488]
India Protected and restricted areas of India PAP/RAP required
 Iraqi Kurdistan eVisa[495] 30 days
Kazakhstan Baikonur & Priozersk Special permission required
Iran Kish Island Visa not required
 Macau Visa not required 30 days[498]
Malaysia Sabah and Sarawak Visa not required
  • These states have their own immigration authorities and a passport is required to travel to them, but the same visa applies.[499]
 Maldives outside Malé Permission required
  • Tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of the Maldives.[500]
 Palestine Visa not required
Tajikistan Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province OIVR permit required
China Tibet Autonomous Region TTP required
  • Tibet Travel Permit required in addition to Chinese visa.[505]
Saudi Arabia Mecca and Medina Special access required Non-Muslims and those following the Ahmadiyya religious movement are strictly prohibited from entry.[506]
Turkmenistan Closed cities of Turkmenistan Special permit required
Vietnam Phú Quốc Visa not required 30 days[508]
 Yemen outside Sana’a or Aden Special permission required
Caribbean and North Atlantic
 Åland Islands Visa not required[509] 3 months
 Anguilla Visa not required 3 months[510]
 Aruba Visa not required[511][512] 30 days
 Bermuda Visa not required[513] 6 months
 Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) Visa not required 180 days
 British Virgin Islands Visa not required 30 days
 Cayman Islands Visa not required 6 months[514]
Colombia San Andrés and Leticia Tourist Card on arrival
 Curaçao Visa not required 6 months
  • Maximum consecutive period of six months each calendar year.[516]
France French West Indies (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy) Visa not required 3 months
 Greenland Visa not required[517]
 Montserrat Visa not required 6 months
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Freedom of movement Unlimited
  • U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals may live and work freely in Puerto Rico.
  • Passport/EDL is not required for entry of U.S. Citizens.[518]
 Sint Maarten Visa not required 6 months
  • Maximum stay allowed is 6 months uninterrupted with the possibility to extend[519][520]
 Turks and Caicos Islands Visa not required 90 days[521]
United States Virgin Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Freedom of movement Unlimited
  • U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals may live and work freely in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Passport / EDL is not required for entry of U.S. Citizens.[518]
Europe
 Abkhazia Visa required[522]
Belarus Brest and Grodno Visa not required
[may be outdated as of February 2022]
10 days[523]
 Crimea Visa required
[may be outdated as of February 2022]
  • Visa issued by Russia is required.[524]
 Novorossiya Restricted area
[may be outdated as of February 2022]
  • Crossing from Ukraine requires visit purpose to be explained to Ukrainian passport control on exit and those who entered from Russia are not allowed to proceed further into Ukraine.[525]
 Northern Cyprus Visa not required 3 months[526]
 Faroe Islands Visa not required[517]
 Gibraltar Visa not required[527]
 Guernsey Visa not required[528]
 Isle of Man Visa not required[529]
Norway Jan Mayen Permit required[527] 24 hours
  • Permit issued by the local police required for stays less than 24 hours[530]
  • Permit issued by the Norwegian police required for stays of more than 24 hours.[531]
 Jersey Visa not required[532]
Russia Closed cities of Russia Special authorization required
 South Ossetia Visa not required
  • Multiple entry visa to Russia and three-day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia.[533][534]
 Svalbard Visa not required[535] Unlimited
  • Anyone of any nationality may live and work freely in Svalbard per the Svalbard Treaty.
 Transnistria Visa not required 24 hours
Oceania
American Samoa American Samoa Freedom of movement Unlimited
  • Passport is required for entry because American Samoans, by law, are not US citizens; rather they are US nationals.
  • U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals may live and work freely in American Samoa.[538]
Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands Special authorisation required
  • Special authorisation required.[539]
France Clipperton Island Special permit required
  • Special permit required.[540]
 Cook Islands Visa not required 31 days[541]
Fiji Lau Province Special permission required
  • Special permission required.[162]
 French Polynesia Visa not required 90 days
  • 90 days within any 180-day period.[542]
Guam Guam Freedom of movement Unlimited
  • U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals citizens may live and work freely in Guam.
  • Passport/EDL is required for entry. Under certain circumstances, a government issued photo ID and proof of citizenship may be used in lieu a passport on a case-by-case basis.[543][544][518]
 Niue Visa not required 30 days[545]
New Caledonia New Caledonia Visa not required 90 days
  • 90 days within any 180-day period[546]
Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands Freedom of movement Unlimited
  • U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals citizens may live and work freely in the Northern Mariana Islands.
  • Passport / EDL is not required for entry of U.S. Citizens.[518]
 Pitcairn Islands Visa not required[547] 14 days
 Tokelau Entry permit required[548]
South America
Argentina Misiones Isla Apipé and Isla del medio Visa not required 90 days
  • By being Argentine territories, the same visa policy applies.
Galápagos Pre-registration required
  • Online pre-registration is required.
  • Transit Control Card must be obtained at the airport prior to departure.[549]
France French Guiana Visa not required 3 months[550] International Certificate of Vaccination required.
South Atlantic and Antarctica
 Falkland Islands Visa not required[551] 1 month
  • A visitor permit is normally issued as a stamp in the passport on arrival.
 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Permit required
 Antarctica Special permits required Special permits required for  Bouvet Island,  British Antarctic Territory,  French Southern and Antarctic Lands,  Argentine Antarctica, Australia Australian Antarctic Territory, Antártica Chilena Province Chilean Antarctic Territory, Australia Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norway Peter I Island, Norway Queen Maud Land, New Zealand Ross Dependency.[554][555][556][557][558][559][560][561][562][563][564][565]

Pre-approved visas pick-up[edit]

Pre-approved visas can be picked up on arrival in the following countries instead of an embassy or consulate.

Pre-approved
visas pick-up
on arrival
Conditions
 Bhutan[566] For a maximum stay of 15 days if the application was submitted at least 2+12 months before arrival and if the clearance was obtained.
 Cameroon[567] Must hold approval from the General Delegate of Security.
 Eritrea[568] Must have a sponsor who must submit an application at least 48 hours before arrival.
 Liberia[569] Available only if arriving from a country without a diplomatic mission of Liberia and if a sponsor obtained an approval.
 Nigeria[570] Holders of a visa application who have a Nigerian company taking responsibility for them.
 Sudan[571] Holders of an entry permit issued by the Ministry of Interior.
 Turkmenistan[572] Holders of an invitation letter from the local company that was approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Passport card[edit]

The United States passport card can be used as an alternative to the passport booklet only when travelling to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Turks and Caico at maritime ports-of-entry or land border crossings.[573] The card is not valid for international air travel whatsoever; if traveling by air, the passport book is required.[574]

APEC Travel Business Card[edit]

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is meant to facilitate travel for U.S. citizens engaged in verified business in the APEC region.[575]

The U.S. ABTC should enable access to a dedicated fast-track lane for expedited immigration processing at some participating foreign APEC member airports.[576]

U.S. APEC Business Travel Card holders may also use the Global Entry kiosks at participating airports upon their U.S. return.[577]

As the U.S. is a transitional member of the ABTC scheme, however, the U.S. APEC Business Travel Card cannot be used in lieu of a visa to enter an APEC member country.[578] The program was initially set to expire on September 30, 2018, but the November 2017 signing of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2017 (S. 504) ensured it would permanently remain.[579]

Consular protection of U.S. citizens abroad[edit]

American diplomatic missions, including embassies (blue), interests sections, and other representations (light blue)

The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world.[citation needed] See also List of diplomatic missions of the United States and List of diplomatic missions in the United States.

The Department of State regularly publishes travel warnings or travel alerts.

Non-visa restrictions[edit]

A United States passport with a biometric chip.

Blank passport pages[edit]

Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages.[580] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.

Vaccination[edit]

Cover of the new International Certificate of Vaccination issued by the Bureau of Quarantine in the Philippines since 2021

Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year[581] to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana.[582]

Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[583][584]

Passport validity length[edit]

Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.

However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens[585][586] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).[587]

Some countries, such as Japan,[588] Ireland and the United Kingdom,[589] require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.

In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain,[590] Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,[591] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru,[592] Philippines,[593] Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.[594]

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.

Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.

Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.

Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives[595] and South Africa.

Criminal record[edit]

Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States,[596] routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.

Persona non grata[edit]

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning entry into that country. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.[597]

Israeli stamps[edit]

Israeli border control Entry Permit (issued as a stand-alone document rather than a stamp affixed in a passport)

Kuwait,[598] Lebanon,[599] Libya,[600] Syria,[601] and Yemen[602] do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.[citation needed]

Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.

Biometrics[edit]

Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.[603]

Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan,[604][605] Argentina,[606] Brunei, Cambodia,[607] China,[608] Ethiopia,[609] Ghana, Guinea,[610] India, Japan,[611][612] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken),[613] Malaysia upon entry and departure,[614] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia,[615] Singapore, South Korea,[616] Taiwan, Thailand,[617] Uganda,[618] the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by domestic legislation),[619][620][621] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.[622]

Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports[623] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.[624][625] The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to greatly increase the biometric data it collects at US borders.[626] In 2018, Singapore began trials of iris scanning at three land and maritime immigration checkpoints.[627][628]

Foreign travel statistics[edit]

These are the numbers of visits by U.S. nationals to various countries in 2015 (unless otherwise noted):