Passport guide · American

American passport: 158 visa-free destinations

Q: Do I need an ETA or e-visa for some countries?

Yes. 21 destinations require an e-visa (online application before arrival) for American passport holders. These are typically quicker than embassy visas but still need to be arranged before travel.

Holders of a United States passport have easy entry to 158 countries — 116 visa-free and 42 with visa on arrival. Below is the full, sourced list plus e-visa and visa-required countries.

116visa-free

42visa on arrival

21e-visa

19visa required

Visa-free destinations

Countries a American passport holder can enter without arranging any visa in advance. Day-limit shown where available.

Albania
Visa-free · 360 days
Andorra
Visa-free · 90 days
Angola
Visa-free · 30 days
Antigua and Barbuda
Visa-free · 180 days
Argentina
Visa-free · 90 days
Armenia
Visa-free · 180 days
Austria
Visa-free · 90 days
Bahamas
Visa-free · 240 days
Barbados
Visa-free · 180 days
Belgium
Visa-free · 90 days
Belize
Visa-free · 180 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa-free · 90 days
Botswana
Visa-free · 90 days
Brazil
Visa-free · 90 days
Brunei
Visa-free · 90 days
Bulgaria
Visa-free · 90 days
Canada✓
Visa-free · 180 days
US citizens do not need a visa or eTA; valid passport required for entry. Maximum stay 6 months.
Official source ↗
Cape Verde
Visa-free · 30 days
Chile
Visa-free · 90 days
Colombia
Visa-free
Costa Rica
Visa-free · 180 days
Croatia
Visa-free · 90 days
Cyprus
Visa-free · 90 days
Czech Republic
Visa-free · 90 days
Denmark
Visa-free · 90 days
Dominica
Visa-free · 180 days
Dominican Republic
Visa-free
Ecuador
Visa-free · 90 days
El Salvador
Visa-free · 180 days
Estonia
Visa-free · 90 days
Fiji
Visa-free · 120 days
Finland
Visa-free · 90 days
France✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens can stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period visa-free for tourism or business purposes.
Official source ↗
Georgia
Visa-free · 360 days
Germany✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens can stay up to 90 days without a visa; valid passport required with 3 months beyond departure.
Official source ↗
Greece✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens can visit Greece visa-free for up to 90 days within 180 days; valid passport required.
Official source ↗
Grenada
Visa-free · 90 days
Guatemala
Visa-free · 90 days
Guyana
Visa-free · 90 days
Haiti
Visa-free · 90 days
Honduras
Visa-free · 90 days
Hong Kong
Visa-free · 90 days
Hungary
Visa-free · 90 days
Iceland
Visa-free · 90 days
Ireland
Visa-free · 90 days
Israel
Visa-free · 90 days
Italy✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens may enter Italy for up to 90 days for tourist purposes without a visa under the Schengen area visa waiver.
Official source ↗
Jamaica
Visa-free · 180 days
Japan✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens can enter Japan visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism; cannot work.
Official source ↗
Kazakhstan
Visa-free · 30 days
Kiribati
Visa-free · 90 days
Kosovo
Visa-free · 90 days
Kyrgyzstan
Visa-free · 60 days
Latvia
Visa-free · 90 days
Lesotho
Visa-free
Liechtenstein
Visa-free · 90 days
Lithuania
Visa-free · 90 days
Luxembourg
Visa-free · 90 days
Macao
Visa-free · 30 days
Malawi
Visa-free · 30 days
Malaysia✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens do not require a visa for tourism stays up to 90 days; social visit pass issued on arrival.
Official source ↗
Malta
Visa-free · 90 days
Marshall Islands
Visa-free
Mauritius
Visa-free · 90 days
Mexico✓
Visa-free
No visa required for tourist visits; Mexican immigration determines authorized stay length upon arrival (typically 30–180 days).
Official source ↗
Micronesia
Visa-free · 30 days
Moldova
Visa-free · 90 days
Monaco
Visa-free · 90 days
Mongolia
Visa-free · 90 days
Montenegro
Visa-free · 90 days
Morocco
Visa-free · 90 days
Mozambique
Visa-free · 30 days
Namibia
Visa-free · 90 days
Netherlands✓
Visa-free · 90 days
No visa required for tourist stays up to 90 days; part of Schengen Agreement visa waiver.
Official source ↗
Nicaragua
Visa-free · 90 days
North Macedonia
Visa-free · 90 days
Norway
Visa-free · 90 days
Palau
Visa-free · 360 days
Palestine
Visa-free
Panama
Visa-free · 180 days
Paraguay
Visa-free · 90 days
Peru
Visa-free · 180 days
Philippines
Visa-free · 30 days
Poland
Visa-free · 90 days
Portugal
Visa-free · 90 days
Qatar
Visa-free · 90 days
Romania
Visa-free · 90 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Visa-free · 180 days
Saint Lucia
Visa-free · 42 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Visa-free · 180 days
San Marino
Visa-free · 90 days
Sao Tome and Principe
Visa-free · 15 days
Senegal
Visa-free · 90 days
Serbia
Visa-free · 90 days
Seychelles
Visa-free · 90 days
Singapore✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US passport holders do not require a visa for tourism; 90-day visa-free entry granted via electronic visit pass upon arrival.
Official source ↗
Slovakia
Visa-free · 90 days
Slovenia
Visa-free · 90 days
South Africa
Visa-free · 90 days
South Korea✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens may stay visa-free for 90 days or less for tourism or business.
Official source ↗
Spain✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens can visit Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
Official source ↗
Swaziland
Visa-free · 30 days
Sweden
Visa-free · 90 days
Switzerland✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens may enter Switzerland visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism or business.
Official source ↗
Taiwan
Visa-free · 90 days
Tajikistan
Visa-free · 30 days
Thailand✓
Visa-free · 60 days
US citizens can enter visa-free for up to 60 days; pre-arrival online registration required.
Official source ↗
Trinidad and Tobago
Visa-free · 90 days
Tunisia
Visa-free · 120 days
Turkey✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens exempt from visa for tourism stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Official source ↗
Ukraine
Visa-free · 90 days
United Arab Emirates✓
Visa-free · 30 days
US passport holders are granted visa-free entry for up to 30 days; extension available at discretion of immigration officials.
Official source ↗
Uruguay
Visa-free · 90 days
Vanuatu
Visa-free · 120 days
Vatican
Visa-free · 90 days
Zambia
Visa-free · 90 days

Visa on arrival

Visa issued at the border — typically quick, fee-paid, and no embassy visit required. Still bring passport photos, proof of onward travel, and hotel bookings.

Bahrain
Visa on arrival
Bangladesh
Visa on arrival
Bolivia
Visa on arrival
Burkina Faso
Visa on arrival
Burundi
Visa on arrival
Cambodia
Visa on arrival
Comoros
Visa on arrival
Djibouti
Visa on arrival
Egypt
Visa on arrival
Ethiopia
Visa on arrival
Gambia
Visa on arrival
Ghana
Visa on arrival
Guinea-Bissau
Visa on arrival
Iraq
Visa on arrival
Ivory Coast
Visa on arrival
Jordan
Visa on arrival
Kenya
Visa on arrival
Kuwait
Visa on arrival
Laos
Visa on arrival
Lebanon
Visa on arrival
Madagascar
Visa on arrival
Maldives
Visa on arrival
Mauritania
Visa on arrival
Nepal
Visa on arrival
New Zealand
Visa on arrival
Oman
Visa on arrival
Pakistan
Visa on arrival
Papua New Guinea
Visa on arrival
Rwanda
Visa on arrival
Samoa
Visa on arrival
Saudi Arabia
Visa on arrival
Sierra Leone
Visa on arrival
Solomon Islands
Visa on arrival
Somalia
Visa on arrival
Sri Lanka
Visa on arrival
Tanzania
Visa on arrival
Timor-Leste
Visa on arrival
Tonga
Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Visa on arrival
Zimbabwe
Visa on arrival
Australia✓
Visa-free · 90 days
US citizens must apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), valid for up to 90 days per entry within a 12-month period.
Official source ↗
United Kingdom✓
Visa-free · 180 days
US passport holders require an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before travel; Standard Visitors may stay up to 6 months.
Official source ↗

e-Visa destinations

Apply online before you travel. Usually approved within a few days, cheaper and faster than an embassy visa.

Azerbaijan
e-Visa
Benin
e-Visa
Bhutan
e-Visa
Cameroon
e-Visa
China
e-Visa
Cuba
e-Visa
DR Congo
e-Visa
Equatorial Guinea
e-Visa
Gabon
e-Visa
Guinea
e-Visa
India
e-Visa
Indonesia✓
Visa-free · 30 days
Electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) required, costs 500,000 rupiah (~$35), valid for 30 days from entry; extendable once for additional 30 days.
Official source ↗
Libya
e-Visa
Myanmar
e-Visa
Nigeria
e-Visa
South Sudan
e-Visa
Syria
e-Visa
Togo
e-Visa
Uganda
e-Visa
Uzbekistan
e-Visa
Vietnam
e-Visa

Visa required — 19 destinations

embassy visa needed · click to expand

These destinations require a full visa from an embassy or consulate in advance. Entries marked ✓ have been re-verified against an official government source.

Afghanistan
Visa required
Algeria
Visa required
Belarus
Visa required
Central African Republic
Visa required
Chad
Visa required
Congo
Visa required
Eritrea
Visa required
Iran
Visa required
Liberia
Visa required
Mali
Visa required
Nauru
Visa required
Niger
Visa required
North Korea
Visa required
Russia
Visa required
Sudan
Visa required
Suriname
Visa required
Turkmenistan
Visa required
Venezuela
Visa required
Yemen
Visa required

Expand your access with a residence permit

If your American passport has limited reach, a residence permit can unlock many additional destinations. Pairing your passport with one of the permits below typically adds 5–15 new visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries:

UAE residence permit — strong for South Asian passport holders, unlocks Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Serbia
US Green Card — unlocks Mexico, Canada (via eTA), several Caribbean and Central American countries
Schengen residence permit — unlocks Turkey, Balkans, several visa-free short stays across the EU

Frequently asked questions

How many countries can American passport holders visit visa-free?

American passport holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 158 countries — 116 visa-free and 42 visa-on-arrival. Notable visa-free destinations include Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina.

Is the American passport strong?

Yes — the American passport is considered strong, giving access to 158+ destinations without needing to arrange a visa in advance.

Do I need an ETA or e-visa for some countries?

Yes. 21 destinations require an e-visa (online application before arrival) for American passport holders. These are typically quicker than embassy visas but still need to be arranged before travel.

Which countries require a full visa in advance?

19 countries require American passport holders to obtain a visa from an embassy before travelling. Check the destination embassy's website for specific requirements and processing times.

Can a residence permit or second visa unlock extra countries?

Yes — several residence permits grant bonus visa-free access regardless of your American passport. See our guides for UAE residence, US Green Card, and Schengen residence permit to learn which countries unlock for each.

How accurate is this list?

Entries marked with a ✓ badge have been re-verified against an official government source (embassy, ministry, or visa portal) and link to that source. Entries without the badge come from the community-maintained open-source Passport Index Dataset — a reasonable starting point but not individually verified. Rules change frequently. Always confirm with the destination embassy before booking travel.