United Kingdom
UK ETA
U.S. citizens do not need a UK visa for visits of up to six months, but they must hold an approved UK ETA before boarding.
- Fee
- $20
- Processing
- 1–3 days
Visa hub
Whether you are a U.S. citizen heading abroad or a visitor coming to the United States: the authorization you need, the official form, what the government charges, how long it takes and when to start.
Short answer
Do you need a visa for your trip?
U.S. citizens travel visa-free to much of the world for short tourist stays, but a growing list of destinations now requires an electronic travel authorization or an e-Visa before boarding, and countries such as China, India and Brazil require a full visa. Visitors to the United States need either an ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program or a nonimmigrant visa applied for with form DS-160.
Key takeaways
- A travel authorization (ETA, ESTA, ETIAS) is online, cheap and usually approved in minutes to days.
- An e-Visa is a full visa issued online — budget one to two weeks.
- A consular visa holds your passport for days or weeks, so never book non-refundable travel first.
- Apply only on the destination's own government domain — copycat sites charge several times the real fee.
- Your passport usually needs six months of validity beyond your stay, whatever the visa says.
Visas for U.S. citizens traveling abroad
29 destination programs with official forms, fees and timelines.
Showing 29 destinations.
Schengen Area
ETIAS (Europe)
U.S. citizens can visit the Schengen Area visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period; the EU's ETIAS authorization is being phased in and will be required once it launches.
- Fee
- $8
- Processing
- 1–30 days
Canada
Canada eTA
U.S. citizens do not need a Canadian visa or an eTA — a valid U.S. passport is enough to fly, drive or sail into Canada.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- None
Mexico
Mexico FMM
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays in Mexico, but they must complete the FMM tourist card at entry — usually digitally or on the plane.
- Fee
- $40
- Processing
- 0–1 days
India
India e-Visa
U.S. citizens need a visa for India. Most travelers use the online e-Visa, approved by email in three to five business days.
- Fee
- $25
- Processing
- 3–5 days
China
China L visa
U.S. citizens need a visa for mainland China. The L tourist visa is applied for in person or by courier at a Chinese Visa Application Service Center.
- Fee
- $140
- Processing
- 4–10 days
Vietnam
Vietnam e-Visa
U.S. citizens need a visa for Vietnam; the 90-day e-Visa is issued online in about three business days.
- Fee
- $25
- Processing
- 3–5 days
Australia
Australia ETA
U.S. citizens need an Australian ETA before boarding; it is applied for in the Australian ETA mobile app and usually approved within minutes.
- Fee
- $13
- Processing
- 0–3 days
New Zealand
NZeTA
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for New Zealand visits up to 90 days, but they must hold an NZeTA and pay the tourism levy.
- Fee
- $40
- Processing
- 1–3 days
Brazil
Brazil e-Visa
U.S. citizens need a visitor visa for Brazil, obtained online as an e-Visa before travel.
- Fee
- $81
- Processing
- 5–10 days
Türkiye
Türkiye e-Visa
U.S. citizens need a visa for Türkiye and can get a multiple-entry e-Visa online, usually within 24 hours.
- Fee
- $62
- Processing
- 1–2 days
Egypt
Egypt visa
U.S. citizens need a visa for Egypt. Most travelers buy the e-Visa online in advance or a visa on arrival at the airport.
- Fee
- $25
- Processing
- 5–7 days
Kenya
Kenya eTA
Kenya replaced its visa with a mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation; every U.S. traveler must be approved before boarding.
- Fee
- $30
- Processing
- 2–3 days
Japan
Japan (visa-free)
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourism or business in Japan for up to 90 days — only a valid passport and the online arrival registration.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- None
Thailand
Thailand entry
U.S. citizens can enter Thailand visa-free for tourism, and must submit the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before arrival.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
Saudi Arabia
Saudi e-Visa
U.S. citizens can obtain a one-year, multiple-entry Saudi tourist e-Visa online, usually approved within a few days.
- Fee
- $145
- Processing
- 1–5 days
South Korea
K-ETA
U.S. citizens can visit South Korea for up to 90 days without a visa. Korea has temporarily waived K-ETA for U.S. passport holders, but the waiver is renewed year by year — confirm on the official K-ETA site before you fly.
- Fee
- $8
- Processing
- 1–3 days
Indonesia
Indonesia e-VOA
U.S. citizens need a visa on arrival for Indonesia. Buying it online as an e-VOA before departure lets you use the autogate and skip the airport payment queue.
- Fee
- $35
- Processing
- 1–3 days
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka ETA
U.S. citizens need an approved Sri Lanka ETA before boarding; it converts to a 30-day tourist visa on arrival.
- Fee
- $50
- Processing
- 1–3 days
Cambodia
Cambodia e-Visa
U.S. citizens need a visa for Cambodia; the tourist e-Visa is issued online in about three days.
- Fee
- $36
- Processing
- 3–5 days
Israel
ETA-IL
U.S. citizens travel visa-free to Israel but must hold an approved ETA-IL before boarding a flight.
- Fee
- $7
- Processing
- 1–3 days
Jordan
Jordan entry
U.S. citizens get a visa on arrival in Jordan. Buying a Jordan Pass online before you fly waives the visa fee and covers Petra entry.
- Fee
- $99
- Processing
- 1–2 days
United Arab Emirates
UAE entry
U.S. citizens receive a free 30-day visa on arrival in the UAE, extendable twice for 30 days each.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
Philippines
Philippines eTravel
U.S. citizens can enter the Philippines visa-free for up to 30 days, but everyone must file the free eTravel registration within 72 hours of arrival.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
South Africa
South Africa entry
U.S. citizens can visit South Africa for up to 90 days without a visa, but passport and blank-page rules are enforced strictly.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
Morocco
Morocco entry
U.S. citizens can enter Morocco visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism or business.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
Colombia
Colombia entry
U.S. citizens visit Colombia visa-free for up to 90 days, but everyone must file the free Check-Mig form online within 72 hours of each flight.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
Argentina
Argentina entry
U.S. citizens enter Argentina visa-free for up to 90 days with no reciprocity fee.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
Costa Rica
Costa Rica entry
U.S. citizens can stay in Costa Rica for up to 180 days without a visa, provided they show proof of onward travel.
- Fee
- No fee
- Processing
- 0–1 days
Visa timelines at a glance
Sorted fastest to slowest. Add a buffer on top of every window — these are approval times, not the time it takes you to gather documents.
| Destination | What you need | Typical processing | Fee | Max stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Electronic travel authorization | No application | No fee | Usually up to six months, set by the border officer at entry. |
| Japan | Visa-free entry | No application | No fee | 90 days for tourism or business. |
| Mexico | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | $40 | Up to 180 days, but officers frequently grant far less — check the number written on your stamp. |
| Thailand | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | No fee | Up to 60 days for visa-exempt tourism, extendable once at an immigration office. |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa on arrival | 0–1 business days | No fee | 30 days, extendable twice. |
| Philippines | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | No fee | 30 days visa-free, extendable in-country. |
| South Africa | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | No fee | Up to 90 days. |
| Morocco | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | No fee | 90 days in any 180-day period. |
| Colombia | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | No fee | 90 days, extendable to 180 days in a calendar year. |
| Argentina | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | No fee | 90 days, extendable once for another 90 days. |
| Costa Rica | Visa-free entry | 0–1 business days | No fee | Up to 180 days, at the officer's discretion. |
| Türkiye | Online e-Visa | 1–2 business days | $62 | 90 days within any 180-day period. |
| Jordan | Visa on arrival | 1–2 business days | $99 | 30 days on the standard visa on arrival. |
| United Kingdom | Electronic travel authorization | 1–3 business days | $20 | Up to six months per visit. |
| Australia | Electronic travel authorization | 0–3 business days | $13 | Three months per entry. |
| New Zealand | Electronic travel authorization | 1–3 business days | $40 | Up to 90 days per visit. |
| Kenya | Electronic travel authorization | 2–3 business days | $30 | Up to 90 days. |
| South Korea | Electronic travel authorization | 1–3 business days | $8 | Up to 90 days per visit. |
| Indonesia | Visa on arrival | 1–3 business days | $35 | 30 days, extendable once for another 30 days. |
| Sri Lanka | Electronic travel authorization | 1–3 business days | $50 | 30 days per entry, extendable in Colombo. |
| Israel | Electronic travel authorization | 1–3 business days | $7 | Up to 90 days per visit. |
| India | Online e-Visa | 3–5 business days | $25 | Up to 90 days per visit on the one- and five-year e-Visas. |
| Vietnam | Online e-Visa | 3–5 business days | $25 | Up to 90 days. |
| Saudi Arabia | Online e-Visa | 1–5 business days | $145 | Up to 90 days per visit, 180 days total per year. |
| Cambodia | Online e-Visa | 3–5 business days | $36 | 30 days, single entry. |
| Egypt | Online e-Visa | 5–7 business days | $25 | Up to 30 days. |
| China | Consular (embassy) visa | 4–10 business days | $140 | Usually 60 days per entry, set by the officer at the border. |
| Brazil | Online e-Visa | 5–10 business days | $81 | 90 days per year, extendable once at the discretion of the Federal Police. |
| Schengen Area | Electronic travel authorization | 1–30 business days | $8 | 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area. |
Visiting the United States
For travelers coming to the U.S.: the Visa Waiver Program, the DS-160 visitor visa track, and the student and exchange categories.
ESTA under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program
Citizens of the roughly 40 Visa Waiver Program countries can visit the U.S. for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA instead of a visa.
Forms: ESTA
Full requirementsU.S. B-1/B-2 visitor visa
The B-1/B-2 is the standard U.S. visitor visa for business (B-1) and tourism or medical treatment (B-2), applied for with form DS-160 and an embassy interview.
Forms: DS-160, Interview wait times
Full requirementsU.S. F-1 student visa
The F-1 visa lets a foreign national study full time at a SEVP-approved U.S. school, after receiving a Form I-20 and paying the SEVIS fee.
Forms: I-20, I-901, DS-160
Full requirementsU.S. J-1 exchange visitor visa
The J-1 covers exchange visitors — au pairs, interns, scholars, camp counselors and physicians — sponsored by a State Department-designated program.
Forms: DS-2019, DS-160, I-901
Full requirementsVisa questions, answered
Do U.S. citizens need a visa to travel abroad?
It depends entirely on the destination. Many countries are visa-free for U.S. citizens for short tourist stays, a growing number now require an electronic travel authorization such as the UK ETA or ETIAS, and others — including China, India, Brazil and Vietnam — require a visa obtained before you fly.
What is the difference between a visa and a travel authorization?
A travel authorization (ETA, ESTA, ETIAS) is a quick online pre-screening tied to your passport, usually approved in minutes to days and costing under $40. A visa is a formal permission issued by a consulate, often requiring a form, supporting documents, a fee and sometimes an in-person interview.
How far ahead should I apply for a visa?
For an electronic authorization, at least a week. For an e-Visa, two to three weeks. For a consular visa that holds your passport, six to eight weeks. For a U.S. visa interview from abroad, start as soon as travel is planned — interview waits at some embassies exceed a year.
Does a visa guarantee entry?
No. A visa or authorization allows you to travel to the border and request entry. The immigration officer at the port of entry makes the final decision and sets how long you may stay.
Is PassportOffices.com a visa agency?
No. We are an independent guide. Every application here links to the destination's own government portal, where the fee is lowest and the application is official.
Your passport comes first
Almost every visa application is tied to a passport that must outlast your trip by six months. Check your expiration date before you pay any visa fee.
PassportOffices.com is an independent resource. We are not a visa agency and not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State or any foreign government.