Passport Holders Of These Countries Can Enjoy Visa-Free Travel To The USA (2024)

Only citizens of 43 countries can enjoy visa-free entry to the United States of America. If you hold a passport from one of these countries, then you don’t need a visa to enjoy a vacation in the USA!

With fans of Hollywood movies all over the world, American culture has played an iconic role in mainstream pop culture. Home to famous cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, visiting the US is an aspiration many people across the world share. The first step in planning any international trip is to check the visa requirements of the country we wish to visit. The USA’s visa policy for each country is different from the others; however, certain passports get to enjoy the privilege of entering the nation without a visa.

Why do we need a visa?

A visa is a legal document that gives an individual the permission to enter a country for a stipulated period of time. It is usually a stamp or sticker on the passport. There is an important factor to know that determines the need for a visa to enter a particular country. It depends on the diplomatic relations the two countries share. Many countries have visa agreements that let citizens travel freely between them without a visa. For instance, Indians can travel to 21 countries visa-free (according to Passport Index). They don’t need a visa to travel to Bhutan, Fiji, Nepal, Barbados and more. However, they do need a visa to travel to countries like France, Spain, or the UK.

Book Your Stay In New York

What is visa-free travel?

Visa-free travel is the ability to visit a foreign country without a visa. The visa is issued by the country you plan to visit. It is that country’s way of giving permission to visitors who plan to enter their territory. At times, if the relations between your own country and the country you are planning to visit are good, then the two countries may allow citizens to travel back and forth without needing permission given by a visa. This leads to visa-free travel. Visa-free travel doesn’t mean a person can travel without a passport. It simply entails that one can visit another country without requiring a visa on one’s passport.

Who can travel to the United States of America visa-free?

The United States of America runs a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that allows citizens of certain countries to enter the country without a visa. However, this visa-free entry is only for tourism and business purposes, and it only permits the visitor to stay within the United States for 90 days or less. Even though travellers from these particular countries don’t need to apply for a visa to enter the US, they do need authorisation from the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ETSA).

Book Your Stay In Las Vegas

What is ETSA?

The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation is an online system operated by US Customs and Border Protection. Their responsibility is to determine the eligibility of a person to travel under the Visa Waiver Program. Travellers need to fill out online forms and upload documents before entering the US.

Countries in the Visa Waiver Program that can travel to USA visa-free:

• Andorra
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brunei
• Chile
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• San Marino
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom

A total of 40 countries come under the VWP, making them eligible for visa-free travel. But that’s not the only list of countries that can enjoy visa-free access to the United States. The country also has special rules in place for its neighbours.

Neighbours of the United States of America that can enter the country visa-free:

Canadian citizens can enter the country without a visa and can stay in the United States for up to six months. They need to present at least one of these important documents while crossing the border – a valid passport, NEXUS card, or Enhanced Driver’s License. The United States of America also has many tiny island nations as its neighbours. Citizens of Bermuda can also enter the United States without a visa for a minimum of 180 days (approximately six months). Citizens of the Marshall Islands and Micronesia are granted an unlimited length of stay upon entry, and they just need to show their valid passports.

Mexico, the southern neighbour of the United States, doesn’t enjoy the same privileges and Mexicans do need a visa to enter the country.

Which countries can one visit visa-free with an American passport?

According to the Passport Index, the American passport ranks fifth in the world. However, according to the Henley Passport Index, the United States of America ranks eighth globally. An individual with an American passport can travel visa-free to over 118 countries in the world.

Visa-free travel with an American passport:

• Albania: travel for 360 days
• Andorra: travel for 90 days
• Antigua and Barbuda: travel for 180 days
• Argentina: travel for 90 days
• Armenia: travel for 180 days
• Austria: travel for 90 days
• Bahamas: travel for 240 days
• Barbados: travel for 180 days
• Belgium: travel for 90 days
• Belize: travel for 180 days
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: travel for 90 days
• Botswana: travel 90 days
• Brazil: travel for 90 days
• Brunei: travel for 90 days
• Bulgaria: travel for 90 days
• Canada: travel for 180 days
• Cape Verde: travel for 30 days
• Central African Republic: travel for 180 days
• Chile: travel for 90 days
• Colombia: travel for 90 days
• Costa Rica: travel for 90 days
• Croatia: travel for 90 days
• Cyprus: travel for 90 days
• Czech Republic: travel for 90 days
• Denmark: travel for 90 days
• Dominica: travel for 180 days
• Dominican Republic: travel for 30 days
• Ecuador: travel for 90 days
• El Salvador: travel for 90 days
• Equatorial Guinea: travel for 90 days
• Estonia: travel for 90 days
• Eswatini: travel for 30 days
• Fiji: travel for 120 days
• Finland: travel for 90 days
• France: travel for 90 days
• French Polynesia: travel for 90 days
• Georgia: travel for 360 days
• Germany: travel for 90 days
• Greece: travel for 90 days
• Grenada: travel for 90 days
• Guatemala: travel for 90 days
• Guyana: travel for 90 days
• Haiti: travel for 90 days
• Honduras: travel for 90 days
• Hong Kong: travel for 90 days
• Hungary: travel for 90 days
• Iceland: travel for 90 days
• Ireland: travel for 90 days
• Israel: travel for 90 days
• Italy: travel for 90 days
• Jamaica: travel for 180 days
• Japan: travel for 90 days
• Kazakhstan: travel for 30 days
• Kiribati: travel for 120 days
• Kosovo: travel for 90 days
• Kyrgyzstan: travel for 60 days
• Latvia: travel for 90 days
• Lesotho: travel for 30 days
• Liechtenstein: travel for 90 days
• Lithuania: travel for 90 days
• Luxembourg: travel for 90 days
• Macao: travel for 30 days
• Malaysia: travel for 90 days
• Malta: travel for 90 days
• Marshall Islands: visa-free
• Mauritius: travel for 90 days
• Mexico: travel for 180 days
• Micronesia: travel for 30 days
• Moldova: travel for 90 days
• Monaco: travel for 90 days
• Mongolia: travel for 90 days
• Montenegro: travel for 90 days
• Morocco: travel for 90 days
• Mozambique: travel for 30 days
• Namibia: travel for 90 days
• Netherlands: travel for 90 days
• New Caledonia: travel for 90 days
• Nicaragua: travel for 90 days
• Niue: travel for 30 days
• North Macedonia: travel for 90 days
• Norway: travel for 90 days
• Palau: travel for 360 days
• Palestinian Territories: visa-free
• Panama: travel for 180 days
• Paraguay: travel for 90 days
• Peru: travel for 180 days
• Philippines: travel for 30 days
• Poland: travel for 90 days
• Portugal: travel for 90 days
• Romania: travel for 90 days
• Saint Kitts and Nevis: travel for 180 days
• Saint Lucia: travel for 42 days
• San Marino: travel for 90 days
• Sao Tome and Principe: travel for 15 days
• Senegal: travel for 90 days
• Serbia: travel for 90 days
• Singapore: travel for 90 days
• Slovakia: travel for 90 days
• Slovenia: travel for 90 days
• South Africa: travel for 90 days
• South Korea: travel for 90 days
• Spain: travel for 90 days
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines: travel for 180 days
• Suriname: travel for 90 days
• Sweden: travel for 90 days
• Switzerland: travel for 90 days
• Taiwan: travel for 90 days
• Tajikistan: travel for 30 days
• Thailand: travel for 30 days
• Trinidad and Tobago: travel for 90 days
• Tunisia: travel for 120 days
• Ukraine: travel for 90 days
• United Arab Emirates: travel for 30 days
• United Kingdom: travel for 180 days
• Uruguay: travel for 90 days
• Vanuatu: travel for 30 days
• Vatican City: travel for 90 days
• Zambia: travel for 90 days

Book Your Stay In Los Angeles

This data was taken from the passportindex.org

Hero image credit: Shutterstock; feature image credit: Global Residence Index from Unsplash

Related: US Embassy In India Starts Saturday Interviews For First-Time Visa Applicants

Written By