What you need to enter United States with a Marshallese passport
Marshallese citizens do not need a visa to travel to United States: a passport is enough.
- Processing time
- Not applicable: direct entry with your passport.
- Entry cost
- Free
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months beyond the stay, with exemptions
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 10 August 2026
Verified practical details
You don't need a visa to enter United States, but here are some practical details worth knowing before you travel:
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands: different entry rules
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)
Required documents
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay. If your nationality is on CBP's exemption list, it need only cover the stay itself (CBP, Carrier Liaison Program, 18 December 2025)
- A valid nonimmigrant visa or, if your country takes part in the Visa Waiver Program, an approved ESTA authorisation before you board
- To travel under the Visa Waiver Program your passport must be an e-Passport: embedded chip, machine-readable zone and a printed digital photograph. The programme covers stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business (DHS)
- An approved ESTA does not guarantee you entry: CBP states plainly that the authorisation does not determine admissibility, which the officer decides at the port of entry
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this destination.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓Transit rules
The United States has no visa-free transit, and it is the misunderstanding that costs travellers most: there is no international transit zone where you can wait without entering the country. Since 2 August 2003, anyone transiting the United States needs a C-category nonimmigrant visa. Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries need an ESTA or a visa to transit as well. In practice, even if you are only changing planes you must clear immigration and customs, and collect and re-check your baggage.
More United States rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the United States page:
Official portal: https://travel.state.gov. Destination data verified on 10 August 2026. 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).
Travel insurance for United States
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
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.
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Things to see and do in United States
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of the United States can enter the Marshall Islands visa-free. See the United States → Marshall Islands page.
Of the 5 passports from Micronesia that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to the United States 3 enter visa-free and 2 need a visa. Same result as the Marshall Islands: Micronesia and Palau.
A passport from the Marshall Islands ranks 88 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 109 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Marshallese citizens need a visa for United States?
No. You can enter United States with just your passport.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
Not applicable: direct entry with your passport.
What minimum passport validity is required?
A passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay. If your nationality is on CBP's exemption list, it need only cover the stay itself (CBP, Carrier Liaison Program, 18 December 2025)
What currency is used in United States?
US Dollar (USD).
Related pages
See United States requirements for other passports →
See entry requirements to Marshall Islands for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.