An American passport is one of the best for traveling the world. Not THE best, but I’m not complaining! We are lucky to not have to worry about acquiring a tourist visa before visiting many countries. In this post, I will talk about which countries have visa-free travel for Americans.
Before getting to the airport for any trip, you need to check what the requirements are for your arrival destination. It would be a shame to show up for your flight and be turned away. I initially wrote this post in 2024 and am updating it today, January 16, 2026. Below is a list of countries and territories where Americans can visit without getting a visa.
I will continue to update this list when new rules are established. If in doubt, the U.S. State Department has an easy way to check what the requirements are along with other valuable travel information. I will also explain how to use this helpful tool later in this post.
Some of the links on this post are affiliate links. When clicking on the links and booking travel, I receive a small commission with no extra costs for you. Please note, I only recommend brands I actually use and trust. Please see full disclosure here.
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Visa-Free Travel Destinations For Americans
Getting a travel visa can be an added headache, especially if you aren’t familiar with traveling abroad. These visa-free options are the best places to visit on your first trip out of the country.
As of January 2026, US citizens can travel visa free to these 179 countries and territories according to Henley Global Passport Index:
- Albania
- American Samoa – ETA
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla*
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia – ETA
- Austria
- Bahrain – VOA
- Bangladesh – VOA
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Bonaire; St. Eustatius and Saba
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burundi – VOA
- Cambodia – VOA
- Canada
- Cape Verde Islands – VOA
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Colombia
- Comoro Islands – VOA
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Djibouti – VOA
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt – VOA
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- eSwatini
- Ethiopia – VOA
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French West Indies
- Georgia
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guinea-Bissau – VOA
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia – VOA
- Ireland
- Israel – ETA
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan – VOA
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya – ETA
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait – VOA
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos – VOA
- Latvia
- Lebanon – VOA
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Madagascar – VOA
- Malaysia
- Maldives – VOA
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique – ETA
- Namibia – VOA
- Nepal – VOA
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand – ETA
- Nicaragua
- Niue – VOA
- North Macedonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Norway
- Oman
- Palau Islands
- Palestine Territory – ETA
- Panama
- Paraguay – VOA
- Peru
- Phillipines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar – VOA
- Reunion
- Romania
- Rwanda – VOA
- Samoa – VOA
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Principe
- Saudi Arabia – VOA
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles – ETA
- Sierra Leone – VOA
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands – VOA
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka – ETA
- St. Helena
- St. Kitts and Nevis – ETA
- St. Lucia
- St. Maarten
- St. Vincent and The Grenadines
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania – VOA
- Thailand
- The Bahamas
- The Gambia – VOA
- Timor-Leste – VOA
- Tonga – VOA
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turks and Caicos
- Tuvalu – VOA
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates – VOA
- United Kingdom – ETA
- Uruguay
- US Virgin Islands
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe – VOA
*Please note that Anguilla doesn’t require a visa but it does have a few entry requirements. They are that you must have an onward or return ticket and confirmation of accommodation.
If you do decide to travel to one of these countries, be sure to view how long you are allowed to stay in each place without a visa. It varies by country. Sometimes it can be 30 days and other times it’s 180 days. While at the same time, for countries like Albania, you can be there for 1 year.
Also, visa situations are always changing, so a quick check on the country’s official website is always good practice.
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Additional Requirements For Some Visa-Free Countries
As you can see above, some of the countries have an acrynom next to them, ETA or VOA. These countries will require a few additional steps than packing a bag and hopping on a plane. I’ll explain what these are and some upcoming changes to European travel that are happening later this year.
ETA – Electronic Travel Authorization
The countries marked with ETA require an extra step before arriving. The ETA is a pre-travel authorization. It doesn’t mean you will be automatically allowed in the country, but is a way for the country to screen passengers in advance.
ETAs usually are pretty simple. For example, my husband and son went to Scotland last September and needed to fill out the ETA for the United Kingdom for their trip. Mike was initially going by himself, and it took about a day to get approved. He added Isaac on later, and his approval was instant.
Most ETAs require a photo of your passport, an email and a payment of some sort. For the UK it was £16. It is also good for 2 years or until your current passport expires.
VOA – Visa On Arrival
Technically the countries marked with a VOA need a visa, but I have added them because it is a lot easier than the regular tourist visa.
In general, Visas on Arrival work as follows. You arrive at customs at the airport of the country where you are visiting. You present a valid passport. Each country has requirements of how long the passport needs to be valid. A common requirement is that the passport should not expire within 6 months of arrival.
In addition to a valid passport, you will usually be required to present a return ticket and pay for the visa. The amount ranges per country. For example, to go to Paraguay, US citizens need a passport and to pay $160 dollars for the tourist visa.
To travel to the United Arab Emirates, you must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months, a round-trip ticket or confirmed ticket to another destination only, but there is no fee for a 30 day stay or less.
The biggest thing to remember for the VOAs is that your passport will need to be valid and you might have to pay additional fees. It is also important that you check the individual country requirements. In some cases, like Tanzania, you can get a VOA, but they would prefer you to apply for a visa before arriving.
ETIAS – European Travel Information and Authorisation System
At the end of 2026, 30 countries within the European Union will require you to fill out the ETIAS form. This online form will work like an ETA and give U.S. citizens travel authorization to travel to Europe.
The ETIAS will be valid for 3 years or until your passport expires and is for short-term travel. The cost is €20 and you will need to apply before traveling.
You are expected to hear back about approval within 4 days, but it is advised to apply well in advance. If they need additional information, your approval could be delayed.
The 30 countries and 2 territories requiring the ETIAS in 2026 are:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Greenland
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
If you are curious about the ETIAS and would like more information, visit the official ETIAS website.
I will also update the official date for when you will be required to apply for the ETIAS once it is announced.
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Learn About Your Destination Tool
The U.S. State Department’s Learn About Your Destination search tool is the best way to search up any entry or exit requirements or visa requirements for a country before arriving. It is fairly easy to use.
In addition to the entry and exit and visa requirements, it also has travel advisories, passport validity length, and vaccination requirements or recommendations.
After searching your destination you will see a page similar to this:
The facts are laid out in a detailed format. They begin by talking about any security issues in the country and some travel tips to follow.
As you scroll down, you will see the most important travel requirements listed in a bulleted list. At the very bottom, you will find more details about each topic. If you click on the entry, exit, and visa requirement tab, it will give you helpful links and requirements for that country.
For the United Kingdom, it provides the direct link to apply for the ETA.
This page has been recently updated and is in a new format. For some countries, I noticed, the old format still applies.
In contrast, here is Ethiopia’s travel advisory and quick facts page, which is frankly outdated.
This page hasn’t even been updated for the recent changes that Ethiopia has granted for their Visa on Arrival, so sometimes it is helpful to check a country’s requirements directly on their websites.
To know if the State Department’s information is recent or not, you can see the date that it was updated under “Travel Advisory” in the header.
The old format also has links and detailed information at the bottom of the page too.
Click on the + next to Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements. This will expand out and give you all the information you need to know before traveling.
Summary
I wish you good luck on your international travels. I hope you find this list to be some of the best places to travel for your first international trip.
If you choose The Netherlands as your destination of choice and want some help with planning a personalized trip, send me a message.
After living here for a few years, I know the ins and outs of this country and would love to help. Take a moment to fill out the form below with your request and I will get back to you within a day or two!
