United States visa requirements · checked 13 October 2026

Visa & Entry Requirements for United States

Q: What documents do I need to enter the United States?

Passport validity: CBP says visitors must have passports valid for six months beyond their intended stay, and that citizens of the countries on its exemption list need only a passport valid for their intended period of stay. Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for the United States. Return or onward ticket: Under 8 CFR 217.2, Visa Waiver Program travellers arriving by air or sea must have a round-trip ticket out of the United States, one that ends in contiguous territory or an adjacent island only if they live there. Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a fixed amount.

Most travellers need a visa for the United States: 131 of 198 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate, while 5 passports enter visa-free.

CBP says the Visa Waiver Program lets citizens of 42 countries travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa; ESTA applicants must be citizens or eligible nationals of a Visa Waiver Program country, and the application fee is $40.27 (an approved ESTA is valid for two years or until the passport expires). Under 8 CFR 212.1 a visa is generally not required for Canadian citizens. The non-petition-based nonimmigrant visa fee is $185, and the State Department tells visa applicants to find a U.S. embassy or consulate that processes visas in their country of nationality or residence. A December 2025 presidential proclamation suspends and limits the entry of nationals of the countries it lists, subject to exceptions and case-by-case waivers.

Check your passport

Your passport

Destination

Passports visa-free

eVisa or eTA online

151

Embassy visa required or no admission

Do I need a visa for United States? Quick answers

Another passport? Use the checker or find it in the table below.

Visa for United States — requirements summary

Visa-free: 5 (3%)
eTA: 42 (21%)
Visa required: 131 (66%)
No admission: 20 (10%)

All travellers must meet the entry rules set by United States, and they depend on your nationality. Find your passport below — you may be able to enter visa-free, or need an eVisa, a visa on arrival or a visa from an embassy.

Passport	Requirement	Max stay	Details
Afghanistan	No admission	—	Details →
Albania	Visa required	—	Details →
Algeria	Visa required	—	Details →
Andorra	eTA	90 days	Details →
Angola	Visa required	—	Details →
Antigua and Barbuda	Visa required	—	Details →
Argentina	Visa required	—	Details →
Armenia	Visa required	—	Details →
Australia	eTA	90 days	Details →
Austria	eTA	90 days	Details →
Azerbaijan	Visa required	—	Details →
Bahamas	Visa-free	—	Details →
Bahrain	Visa required	—	Details →
Bangladesh	Visa required	—	Details →
Barbados	Visa required	—	Details →
Belarus	Visa required	—	Details →
Belgium	eTA	90 days	Details →
Belize	Visa required	—	Details →
Benin	Visa required	—	Details →
Bhutan	Visa required	—	Details →
Bolivia	Visa required	—	Details →
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Visa required	—	Details →
Botswana	Visa required	—	Details →
Brazil	Visa required	—	Details →
Brunei	eTA	90 days	Details →
Bulgaria	Visa required	—	Details →
Burkina Faso	No admission	—	Details →
Burundi	Visa required	—	Details →
Cambodia	Visa required	—	Details →
Cameroon	Visa required	—	Details →
Canada	Visa-free	—	Details →
Cape Verde	Visa required	—	Details →
Central African Republic	Visa required	—	Details →
Chad	No admission	—	Details →
Chile	eTA	90 days	Details →
China	Visa required	—	Details →
Colombia	Visa required	—	Details →
Comoros	Visa required	—	Details →
Costa Rica	Visa required	—	Details →
Côte d'Ivoire	Visa required	—	Details →
Croatia	eTA	90 days	Details →
Cuba	Visa required	—	Details →
Cyprus	Visa required	—	Details →
Czechia	eTA	90 days	Details →
Denmark	eTA	90 days	Details →
Djibouti	Visa required	—	Details →
Dominica	Visa required	—	Details →
Dominican Republic	Visa required	—	Details →
DR Congo	Visa required	—	Details →
Ecuador	Visa required	—	Details →
Egypt	Visa required	—	Details →
El Salvador	Visa required	—	Details →
Equatorial Guinea	No admission	—	Details →
Eritrea	No admission	—	Details →
Estonia	eTA	90 days	Details →
Eswatini	Visa required	—	Details →
Ethiopia	Visa required	—	Details →
Fiji	Visa required	—	Details →
Finland	eTA	90 days	Details →
France	eTA	90 days	Details →
Gabon	Visa required	—	Details →
Gambia	Visa required	—	Details →
Georgia	Visa required	—	Details →
Germany	eTA	90 days	Details →
Ghana	Visa required	—	Details →
Greece	eTA	90 days	Details →
Grenada	Visa required	—	Details →
Guatemala	Visa required	—	Details →
Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Guinea-Bissau	Visa required	—	Details →
Guyana	Visa required	—	Details →
Haiti	No admission	—	Details →
Honduras	Visa required	—	Details →
Hong Kong	Visa required	—	Details →
Hungary	eTA	90 days	Details →
Iceland	eTA	90 days	Details →
India	Visa required	—	Details →
Indonesia	Visa required	—	Details →
Iran	No admission	—	Details →
Iraq	Visa required	—	Details →
Ireland	eTA	90 days	Details →
Israel	eTA	90 days	Details →
Italy	eTA	90 days	Details →
Jamaica	Visa required	—	Details →
Japan	eTA	90 days	Details →
Jordan	Visa required	—	Details →
Kazakhstan	Visa required	—	Details →
Kenya	Visa required	—	Details →
Kiribati	Visa required	—	Details →
Kosovo	Visa required	—	Details →
Kuwait	Visa required	—	Details →
Kyrgyzstan	Visa required	—	Details →
Laos	No admission	—	Details →
Latvia	eTA	90 days	Details →
Lebanon	Visa required	—	Details →
Lesotho	Visa required	—	Details →
Liberia	Visa required	—	Details →
Libya	No admission	—	Details →
Liechtenstein	eTA	90 days	Details →
Lithuania	eTA	90 days	Details →
Luxembourg	eTA	90 days	Details →
Macau	Visa required	—	Details →
Madagascar	Visa required	—	Details →
Malawi	Visa required	—	Details →
Malaysia	Visa required	—	Details →
Maldives	Visa required	—	Details →
Mali	No admission	—	Details →
Malta	eTA	90 days	Details →
Marshall Islands	Visa-free	—	Details →
Mauritania	Visa required	—	Details →
Mauritius	Visa required	—	Details →
Mexico	Visa required	—	Details →
Micronesia	Visa-free	—	Details →
Moldova	Visa required	—	Details →
Monaco	eTA	90 days	Details →
Mongolia	Visa required	—	Details →
Montenegro	Visa required	—	Details →
Morocco	Visa required	—	Details →
Mozambique	Visa required	—	Details →
Myanmar	No admission	—	Details →
Namibia	Visa required	—	Details →
Nauru	Visa required	—	Details →
Nepal	Visa required	—	Details →
Netherlands	eTA	90 days	Details →
New Zealand	eTA	90 days	Details →
Nicaragua	Visa required	—	Details →
Niger	No admission	—	Details →
Nigeria	Visa required	—	Details →
North Korea	Visa required	—	Details →
North Macedonia	Visa required	—	Details →
Norway	eTA	90 days	Details →
Oman	Visa required	—	Details →
Pakistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Palau	Visa-free	—	Details →
Palestine	No admission	—	Details →
Panama	Visa required	—	Details →
Papua New Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Paraguay	Visa required	—	Details →
Peru	Visa required	—	Details →
Philippines	Visa required	—	Details →
Poland	eTA	90 days	Details →
Portugal	eTA	90 days	Details →
Qatar	eTA	90 days	Details →
Republic of the Congo	No admission	—	Details →
Romania	Visa required	—	Details →
Russia	Visa required	—	Details →
Rwanda	Visa required	—	Details →
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Visa required	—	Details →
Saint Lucia	Visa required	—	Details →
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Visa required	—	Details →
Samoa	Visa required	—	Details →
San Marino	eTA	90 days	Details →
Sao Tome and Principe	Visa required	—	Details →
Saudi Arabia	Visa required	—	Details →
Senegal	Visa required	—	Details →
Serbia	Visa required	—	Details →
Seychelles	Visa required	—	Details →
Sierra Leone	No admission	—	Details →
Singapore	eTA	90 days	Details →
Slovakia	eTA	90 days	Details →
Slovenia	eTA	90 days	Details →
Solomon Islands	Visa required	—	Details →
Somalia	No admission	—	Details →
South Africa	Visa required	—	Details →
South Korea	eTA	90 days	Details →
South Sudan	No admission	—	Details →
Spain	eTA	90 days	Details →
Sri Lanka	Visa required	—	Details →
Sudan	No admission	—	Details →
Suriname	Visa required	—	Details →
Sweden	eTA	90 days	Details →
Switzerland	eTA	90 days	Details →
Syria	No admission	—	Details →
Taiwan	eTA	90 days	Details →
Tajikistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Tanzania	Visa required	—	Details →
Thailand	Visa required	—	Details →
Timor-Leste	Visa required	—	Details →
Togo	Visa required	—	Details →
Tonga	Visa required	—	Details →
Trinidad and Tobago	Visa required	—	Details →
Tunisia	Visa required	—	Details →
Türkiye	Visa required	—	Details →
Turkmenistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Tuvalu	Visa required	—	Details →
Uganda	Visa required	—	Details →
Ukraine	Visa required	—	Details →
United Arab Emirates	Visa required	—	Details →
United Kingdom	eTA	90 days	Details →
Uruguay	Visa required	—	Details →
Uzbekistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Vanuatu	Visa required	—	Details →
Vatican City	Visa required	—	Details →
Venezuela	Visa required	—	Details →
Vietnam	Visa required	—	Details →
Yemen	No admission	—	Details →
Zambia	Visa required	—	Details →
Zimbabwe	Visa required	—	Details →

United States visa types, fees and processing times

ESTA — Electronic System for Travel Authorization

eTA

Max stay: 90 days
Valid for: 730 days
Entries: Multiple

Fee and processing time not published — confirm with the embassy or consulate before you apply.

Documents (2)

Passport
Selfie photo

Official application site →

B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa (Business/Tourism)

Embassy

Fee: 185 USD

The law requires a visa integrity fee, of at least $250 for fiscal year 2025, from any alien issued a nonimmigrant visa at the time of issuance (Pub. L. 119-21, s. 100007); no official source we could read states whether it is being collected yet. The UK government says visa appointments at the US Embassy in London are limited.

Official application site →

F-1 Student Visa

Embassy

Fee: 185 USD
Extension: Possible

Plus the I-901 SEVIS fee of $350 for F or M visa applicants. You are expected to have the original Form I-20 at your visa interview. Under a DHS final rule, students are admitted for a fixed period based on the programme on their Form I-20, not exceeding four years, plus 30 days for arrival and 30 days for departure; students who need more time must apply to USCIS for an extension of stay, or depart and obtain a new period of admission from CBP on re-entry.

Official application site →

C-1 Transit Visa

Visa

Fee: 185 USD
Max stay: 29 days

22 CFR 22.1 sets $185 for a non-petition-based nonimmigrant visa. Visa Waiver Program travellers can be admitted in transit under the program (8 CFR 217.2).

Entry requirements for United States

Passport validity

CBP says visitors must have passports valid for six months beyond their intended stay, and that citizens of the countries on its exemption list need only a passport valid for their intended period of stay. The list includes the UK, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, India and the Bahamas, among others.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Six-Month Passport Validity Update (Carrier Liaison Program, 18 December 2025)✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Travel insurance

No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for the United States. The UK government says medical treatment in the US is expensive and that some hospitals ask non-US residents to pay a deposit when admitted.

UK FCDO — the USA travel advice: health✓ Checked 4 Oct 2026

Return or onward ticket

8 CFR

Under 8 CFR 217.2, Visa Waiver Program travellers arriving by air or sea must have a round-trip ticket out of the United States, one that ends in contiguous territory or an adjacent island only if they live there. Those arriving at a land border must show evidence of financial solvency and a home abroad to which they intend to return.

8 CFR 217.2 — Visa Waiver Program eligibility✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Proof of funds

8 CFR

No official source we could read states a fixed amount. Under 8 CFR 217.2, Visa Waiver Program travellers arriving at a land border must show evidence of financial solvency and a home abroad to which they intend to return. The State Department says visitor visa applicants may be asked for additional documents to establish whether they are qualified.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Visa Requirements and Visa Waiver Program conditions✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Overstay penalties

180 days

Staying after the authorized period of stay expires is unlawful presence. Unless an exception applies, a person who accrued more than 180 days but less than 1 year of unlawful presence in a single stay, and left before removal proceedings began, is inadmissible if they seek admission again within 3 years of leaving. A person who accrued 1 year or more is inadmissible if they seek admission again within 10 years of leaving or being removed.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Customs allowances

CBP says anyone who brings, sends or receives currency or monetary instruments totalling more than $10,000 at one time into or out of the United States must report it, on FinCEN Form 105.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Know Before You Go: Money✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

United States visa requirements statistics

198

Passports covered

131

Most common: Visa required

Least common: Visa-free

Visa-free access

Understanding United States visa requirements

We track the entry rules of United States for 198 passports. The most common situation is visa required, which applies to 131 passports (66%). 3% of passports can enter without a visa. The least common is visa-free (5 passports).

Entry categories for United States

Visa-free entry: 5 passports can enter without a visa.
eTA: 42 passports need an electronic travel authorisation before departure.
Visa required: 131 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate.
No admission: 20 passports cannot currently enter.

What else you need to enter United States

Passport validity: CBP says visitors must have passports valid for six months beyond their intended stay, and that citizens of the countries on its exemption list need only a passport valid for their intended period of stay.
Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for the United States.
Return or onward ticket: Under 8 CFR 217.2, Visa Waiver Program travellers arriving by air or sea must have a round-trip ticket out of the United States, one that ends in contiguous territory or an adjacent island only if they live there.
Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a fixed amount.

Open your passport in the table for the exact rules — maximum stay, fees, how to apply and the official source. Entry rules change at short notice: confirm with the embassy of United States or its official immigration website before you travel.

Frequently asked questions about United States visas

Do I need a visa for the United States?

Most travellers need a visa for the United States: 131 of 198 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate, while 5 passports enter visa-free. It depends on your passport — check yours.

What is ESTA and who needs it?

ESTA is the application CBP uses for travel under the Visa Waiver Program; applicants must be citizens or eligible nationals of a Visa Waiver Program country, such as the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand on DHS's list. The fee is $40.27, and a DHS notice in the Federal Register sets it at $40.62 from 16 October 2026. An approved ESTA is valid for two years or until the passport expires, and the program allows stays of up to 90 days.

How long can I stay in the US with ESTA?

CBP says the Visa Waiver Program allows business or tourism stays of up to 90 days without a visa. The ESTA site says that if you are admitted under the Visa Waiver Program you may not change or extend your non-immigrant status.

How much does a US visitor visa cost?

22 CFR 22.1 sets the fee for a non-petition-based nonimmigrant visa, such as the B-1/B-2 visitor visa, at $185. The law also requires a visa integrity fee, of at least $250 for fiscal year 2025, from any alien issued a nonimmigrant visa at the time of issuance; no official source we could read states whether it is being collected yet.

Do Canadian citizens need ESTA or a visa for the US?

Canadian citizens generally do not need a visa: 8 CFR 212.1 says a visa is generally not required for Canadian citizens, with exceptions. ESTA is for citizens or eligible nationals of a Visa Waiver Program country, and Canada is not on DHS's list of Visa Waiver Program countries. CBP says Canadian citizens' passports need only be valid until their intended date of departure.

Is Romania in the US Visa Waiver Program?

No. DHS says the previous administration designated Romania for the Visa Waiver Program on 9 January 2025, that DHS paused implementation on 25 March 2025, and that on 2 May 2025 it rescinded the designation, so Romanian citizens need a visitor visa.

Do UK citizens need a visa for the United States?

UK citizens need an eTA for the United States. Full rules for United Kingdom passport holders.

Do German citizens need a visa for the United States?

German citizens need an eTA for the United States. Full rules for Germany passport holders.

Do Indian citizens need a visa for the United States?

Indian citizens need a visa for the United States. Full rules for India passport holders.

What documents do I need to enter the United States?

Passport validity: CBP says visitors must have passports valid for six months beyond their intended stay, and that citizens of the countries on its exemption list need only a passport valid for their intended period of stay. Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for the United States. Return or onward ticket: Under 8 CFR 217.2, Visa Waiver Program travellers arriving by air or sea must have a round-trip ticket out of the United States, one that ends in contiguous territory or an adjacent island only if they live there. Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a fixed amount.

How many countries can visit United States without a visa?

5 of 198 passports can enter United States visa-free (3%). 42 can apply online (eVisa or eTA), and 131 need a visa from an embassy.

Data: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0) — official sources are linked on each passport page. Gaps filled from the Passport Index dataset (MIT).

Check other requirements

Travelling from United States?

Where can United States citizens travel visa-free?

United States passport holders can visit 116 countries without a visa. Open a country for the exact rules.

Map and full list →