United States entry requirements, by passport
United States visa requirements at a glance: 46 of the 198 passports VisaRadar tracks can enter the United States without arranging a visa beforehand: visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an electronic travel authorisation. The other 152 must obtain a visa before they travel.
Which passport do you hold?
We'll take you straight to the entry requirements for the United States for your nationality.
What we've verified for the United States
Beyond the yes/no matrix, we've checked these against an official primary source (last checked 10 August 2026). The specifics depend on your nationality: open your passport's row in the table for the detail that applies to you.
- Authorisation fee: 40.27 USD
- Typical processing time
- Required documents (4)
- Required vaccinations
- Health-insurance rules
- Customs limits (cash, alcohol, tobacco)
- Overstay penalties
- Stay and transit rules
Sources: usa.gov/visa-waiver-esta and esta.cbp.dhs.gov (ESTA); dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program (list of the 42 programme countries); Federal Register 2025-20304, 19 November 2025 (ESTA fee of 40.27 USD from 1 January 2026); usa.gov/visa-waiver-esta (up to 72 hours to learn the outcome); cbp.gov press release "CBP Reminds Travelers to Allow 72 Hours for ESTA" (apply at least 72 hours before the flight); cbp.gov, "Money and Other Monetary Instruments" (cash declaration); 19 CFR 148.43 (alcohol and tobacco exemptions for non-residents); 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(7), on govinfo.gov (exclusion from the programme after breaching a previous admission); uscis.gov, "Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility" (3-year, 10-year and permanent bars) (checked 29 September 2026).
This table summarises the exact entry mechanism for every passport we track. The difference between entering visa-free, with an electronic authorisation, with an e-Visa, or with a traditional visa is explained in visa, e-Visa, and electronic authorisation: what's the difference. How we verify every row before publishing it is on methodology.
Base entry rules refreshed 2 November 2026. Published: 10 August 2026.
| Passport | Requirement | Max. stay |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free | ||
| Andorra | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Australia | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Austria | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Belgium | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Brunei | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Canada | Visa-free | 180 days |
| Chile | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Croatia | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Czech Republic | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Denmark | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Estonia | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Finland | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| France | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Germany | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Greece | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Hungary | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Iceland | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Ireland | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Israel | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Italy | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Japan | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Latvia | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Liechtenstein | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Lithuania | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Luxembourg | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Malta | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Marshall Islands | Visa-free | — |
| Micronesia | Visa-free | — |
| Monaco | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Netherlands | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| New Zealand | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Norway | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Palau | Visa-free | — |
| Poland | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Portugal | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Qatar | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| San Marino | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Singapore | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Slovakia | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Slovenia | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| South Korea | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Spain | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Sweden | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Switzerland | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Taiwan | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| United Kingdom | Electronic authorisation (ETA) | — |
| Visa required | ||
| Afghanistan | Entry not permitted | — |
| Albania | Visa required | — |
| Algeria | Visa required | — |
| Angola | Visa required | — |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Visa required | — |
| Argentina | Visa required | — |
| Armenia | Visa required | — |
| Azerbaijan | Visa required | — |
| Bahamas | Visa required | — |
| Bahrain | Visa required | — |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | — |
| Barbados | Visa required | — |
| Belarus | Visa required | — |
| Belize | Visa required | — |
| Benin | Visa required | — |
| Bhutan | Visa required | — |
| Bolivia | Visa required | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa required | — |
| Botswana | Visa required | — |
| Brazil | Visa required | — |
| Bulgaria | Visa required | — |
| Burkina Faso | Entry not permitted | — |
| Burundi | Visa required | — |
| Cambodia | Visa required | — |
| Cameroon | Visa required | — |
| Cape Verde | Visa required | — |
| Central African Republic | Visa required | — |
| Chad | Entry not permitted | — |
| China | Visa required | — |
| Colombia | Visa required | — |
| Comoros | Visa required | — |
| Costa Rica | Visa required | — |
| Cuba | Visa required | — |
| Cyprus | Visa required | — |
| Djibouti | Visa required | — |
| Dominica | Visa required | — |
| Dominican Republic | Visa required | — |
| DR Congo | Visa required | — |
| Ecuador | Visa required | — |
| Egypt | Visa required | — |
| El Salvador | Visa required | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | Entry not permitted | — |
| Eritrea | Entry not permitted | — |
| Eswatini | Visa required | — |
| Ethiopia | Visa required | — |
| Fiji | Visa required | — |
| Gabon | Visa required | — |
| Gambia | Visa required | — |
| Georgia | Visa required | — |
| Ghana | Visa required | — |
| Grenada | Visa required | — |
| Guatemala | Visa required | — |
| Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa required | — |
| Guyana | Visa required | — |
| Haiti | Entry not permitted | — |
| Honduras | Visa required | — |
| Hong Kong | Visa required | — |
| India | Visa required | — |
| Indonesia | Visa required | — |
| Iran | Entry not permitted | — |
| Iraq | Visa required | — |
| Ivory Coast | Visa required | — |
| Jamaica | Visa required | — |
| Jordan | Visa required | — |
| Kazakhstan | Visa required | — |
| Kenya | Visa required | — |
| Kiribati | Visa required | — |
| Kosovo | Visa required | — |
| Kuwait | Visa required | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa required | — |
| Laos | Entry not permitted | — |
| Lebanon | Visa required | — |
| Lesotho | Visa required | — |
| Liberia | Visa required | — |
| Libya | Entry not permitted | — |
| Macao | Visa required | — |
| Madagascar | Visa required | — |
| Malawi | Visa required | — |
| Malaysia | Visa required | — |
| Maldives | Visa required | — |
| Mali | Entry not permitted | — |
| Mauritania | Visa required | — |
| Mauritius | Visa required | — |
| Mexico | Visa required | — |
| Moldova | Visa required | — |
| Mongolia | Visa required | — |
| Montenegro | Visa required | — |
| Morocco | Visa required | — |
| Mozambique | Visa required | — |
| Myanmar | Entry not permitted | — |
| Namibia | Visa required | — |
| Nauru | Visa required | — |
| Nepal | Visa required | — |
| Nicaragua | Visa required | — |
| Niger | Entry not permitted | — |
| Nigeria | Visa required | — |
| North Korea | Visa required | — |
| North Macedonia | Visa required | — |
| Oman | Visa required | — |
| Pakistan | Visa required | — |
| Palestine | Entry not permitted | — |
| Panama | Visa required | — |
| Papua New Guinea | Visa required | — |
| Paraguay | Visa required | — |
| Peru | Visa required | — |
| Philippines | Visa required | — |
| Republic of the Congo | Entry not permitted | — |
| Romania | Visa required | — |
| Russia | Visa required | — |
| Rwanda | Visa required | — |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa required | — |
| Saint Lucia | Visa required | — |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa required | — |
| Samoa | Visa required | — |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Visa required | — |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa required | — |
| Senegal | Visa required | — |
| Serbia | Visa required | — |
| Seychelles | Visa required | — |
| Sierra Leone | Entry not permitted | — |
| Solomon Islands | Visa required | — |
| Somalia | Entry not permitted | — |
| South Africa | Visa required | — |
| South Sudan | Entry not permitted | — |
| Sri Lanka | Visa required | — |
| Sudan | Entry not permitted | — |
| Suriname | Visa required | — |
| Syria | Entry not permitted | — |
| Tajikistan | Visa required | — |
| Tanzania | Visa required | — |
| Thailand | Visa required | — |
| Timor-Leste | Visa required | — |
| Togo | Visa required | — |
| Tonga | Visa required | — |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa required | — |
| Tunisia | Visa required | — |
| Turkey | Visa required | — |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required | — |
| Tuvalu | Visa required | — |
| Uganda | Visa required | — |
| Ukraine | Visa required | — |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa required | — |
| Uruguay | Visa required | — |
| Uzbekistan | Visa required | — |
| Vanuatu | Visa required | — |
| Vatican | Visa required | — |
| Venezuela | Visa required | — |
| Vietnam | Visa required | — |
| Yemen | Entry not permitted | — |
| Zambia | Visa required | — |
| Zimbabwe | Visa required | — |
United States rules for every passport
Vaccinations, customs limits and penalties are the same for every traveller.
Vaccinations
- No mandatory vaccines for entry. The international vaccination certificate is asked of nobody: not the yellow fever one, and not even of travellers arriving from a country with risk of transmission. That is what the country has declared in the International Health Regulations list.
Customs limits
- Cash
- If you carry more than 10,000 USD (or the equivalent in another currency) in cash or monetary instruments, you must declare it to CBP on FinCEN Form 105. For families or groups the limit applies to the combined amount they carry.
- Alcohol
- An adult non-resident may bring in up to 1 litre of alcoholic drinks for personal use free of duty.
- Tobacco
- An adult non-resident may bring in 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 2 kg of smoking tobacco, or a proportionate mix, for personal use free of duty.
Overstay penalties
If you entered under the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) and did not comply with the conditions of that admission, for example by staying longer than authorised, the law excludes you from the programme: to come back you will need to apply for a visa at an embassy or consulate. In addition, accruing more than 180 days but less than 1 year of unlawful presence in one stay brings a 3-year re-entry bar, and 1 year or more a 10-year bar. Anyone who accrues more than 1 year of unlawful presence in total, leaves and then enters or tries to enter without being admitted becomes permanently inadmissible.
Grounds for refusal
- Having accrued more than 180 days but less than 1 year of unlawful presence during a single stay (on or after 1 April 1997) and seeking admission again within 3 years of leaving: this is the 3-year bar under INA 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I).
- Having accrued 1 year or more of unlawful presence during a single stay and seeking admission again within 10 years: this is the 10-year bar under INA 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II).
- It is worth understanding when the clock starts: the 3 and 10 years run from the moment you leave the United States, not from when the unlawful stay began. Waiting it out inside the country does not shorten the bar, it deepens it.
Travel insurance
Each destination decides whether to require insurance, and some check it at the border. If yours does, make sure the policy covers the whole trip.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
This is an affiliate link: if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands: what changes
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have their own visa waiver programme, the G-CNMI VWP, with a list of eligible nationalities that is not the ESTA list. Since 30 November 2024, anyone travelling under that programme needs its own electronic authorisation, the G-CNMI-eTA, which replaced the paper form I-736 and is checked before boarding. Travellers entering under the general visa waiver programme still use their ESTA.
Source: cbp.gov, Carrier Liaison Program, publicación 3923-1124 de 25/11/2024 (comprobado 18/09/2026)
Do you need a different visa for New York, Los Angeles, or Miami?
No. United States sets the requirements, so entering through New York asks for the same as entering through Los Angeles or Miami. If you're arriving overland or through a small border post, check that separately: some countries apply their own rules to specific crossings.
With one exception, explained above: the rules for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are not the rules for the rest of the United States.
What does change is where you file the application when a visa is needed, and that depends on the country you live in rather than the city you're travelling to.
What draws travellers to the United States
The United States is too big to "see": you choose the trip by region. The Northeast holds the cities: New York, the most visited by international tourists, Washington with its free Smithsonian museums, Boston. California links San Francisco and Los Angeles along the Pacific coast. The Southwest is the classic national-park road trip: the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and southern Utah, with Las Vegas as the usual base. Florida stands apart, between Miami and the Keys. The great western parks: Yellowstone, with its geysers, and Yosemite: are destinations in their own right; Great Smoky Mountains, the country's most visited, draws more than twelve million people a year. The country has more than twenty UNESCO World Heritage sites, most of them natural. The first-timer's mistake is trying to string together the East and West coasts in a week: the distances force a choice. The best time depends entirely on the area: the desert Southwest is brutal in summer; the Northeast is superb in autumn.
Sources for this section: visittheusa.com (Brand USA, the official destination marketing organisation); nps.gov (U.S. National Park Service); UNESCO World Heritage List (whc.unesco.org); UK FCDO travel advice for the USA. Accessed 31 August 2026.
Things to see and do in the United States
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Seeing the featured activities here needs advertising cookies. In the meantime, you can open them directly:
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Where can United States passport holders travel visa-free? →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.