188 Visa-Free Countries You Can Visit with a U.S. Passport in 2024

“Oh the places you’ll go,” Dr. Suess famously said, encouraging readers to embark on new adventures. If Dr. Seuss had known how many countries you can travel to as an American passport holder without needing a visa, he might have added “Oh the places you’ll go… with a U.S. passport!”

U.S passport holders will be happy to hear that in 2024 they can visit 188 countries without having to deal with the hassle of acquiring a visa before traveling. Whether it’s trekking through the Outback with kangaroos, braving the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula on the back of a camel, dancing the flamenco in Seville, or cruising down the Nile River that calls to you, that U.S. passport simplifies the process of making your dream a reality.

Are you ready to plan your next adventure? Check our list below of the 188 visa-free countries you can visit with a U.S. passport in 2024 to confirm your destination doesn’t require a visa. Countries are organized alphabetically and are followed by the region of the world where they are located.

What Is a Visa Anyway?

A visa is like an application to visit a specific country. It is a document used by the host country to be able to vet and control who enters their country. In order to obtain a visa to a specific country, you must have a current and valid passport from your home country. You will need to provide your intended travel itinerary for your trip. Proof of funds to cover the entire cost of your planned trip may also be required. Visa costs vary depending on the country, and will take time to process and get approved.

Are There Different Types of Visas?

Yes. There are quite a few different options for visas depending on the host country. Visas can be divided into two main groups: immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Immigrant visas allow you to stay in the host country indefinitely, while nonimmigrant visas are only valid on a temporary basis. Most travelers only require a nonimmigrant visa.

A travel/tourist visa allows you to enter a foreign country for touristic and leisure purposes only and stay for a predetermined amount of time. You will not be allowed to work or engage in any business activities in the country.

A student visa allows students to visit a country in order to enroll in a school in the host country. These visas are usually approved for a longer span of time than a travel visa.

Not every country offers a working holiday visa, but Australia’s program is perhaps the most well-known. This visa allows you to find employment while you are traveling.

Work and business visas differ in that a work visa allows you to join the labor force of a host country, while a business visa allows the holder to engage in business activities without joining the labor force.

What Is the Difference Between an E-Visa and a Visa?

There is very little difference between a traditional visa and an e-visa. Short for electronic visa, an e-visa is completed 100 percent online. It is linked to your passport via a digital system. This takes the place of a physical stamp or sticker on your passport.

How Does the U.S. Passport Rank?

The Henley Mobility Report ranks 199 countries and territories worldwide according to “the relationship between a country’s openness to foreigners — how many nations it allows to cross its borders visa-free — and its own citizens’ travel freedom, gauged using the Henley Passport Index.”

According to the passport index, U.S. passport holders are ranked seventh for travel freedom. There are only 38 destinations in the world where American citizens need more than just their passport to visit. Alternatively, the United States’ openness rank is 78th. These scores mean the country’s citizens have more freedom to travel abroad than other countries’ citizens have to visit the United States.

The United States shares seventh place with Hungary and Canada. There are 25 countries whose passport holders enjoy more travel freedom than the United States. They include Singapore, France, South Korea, and Ireland.

How to Check the Countries You Can Visit without a Visa with Your Country’s Passport

If you want to check which countries you can travel to without a visa, visit the Henley & Partners Passport Index. Select your country from the drop-down menu and the countries your passport allows you to visit visa-free will appear. You can also select the option to see a list of the destinations that require visas. Find more information about country-specific requirements at the U.S. Department of State international travel site.

New Travel Rules in Brazil for 2024

On April 10, 2024, Brazil will reinstate a visa requirement for U.S. passport holders. This change comes after five years of being a visa-free country for American citizens. It also includes travelers from Canada, Japan, and Australia.

In a press release, the Brazilian government explained that it was making the change because those countries do not provide reciprocity, meaning Brazilian citizens are required to obtain a visa to visit. To apply for the new Brazilian visa, visit the e-visa website. Brazilian authorities recommend that people planning a trip to Brazil begin the e-visa process two months before their arrival date. The e-visa will cost $81.

European Travel Rules Coming for 2025

A new program in Europe will require 1.4 billion people — including Americans — to obtain special travel authorization to enter the Schengen area of Europe. The Schengen area comprises 27 European countries that have officially abolished passports and border controls at their borders. The new requirements are being rolled out to help “identify security, irregular migration or high epidemic risks posed by visa-exempt visitors,” according to the European Commission website.

The travel security system, ETIAS, or the European Travel Information and Authorization System, conducts background checks on applicants to identify security risks. The ETIAS is not a visa. It is an electronic visa waiver for citizens of visa-exempt countries. If you are planning your trip to Europe in advance, you can apply for the waiver on the ETIAS website.

The 38 Countries Requiring Visas from U.S. Passport Holders

U.S. citizens have nearly unrestricted access to international travel. With all of these freedoms, perhaps the more important question is: Where can’t U.S. passport holders travel without a visa? There are a handful of countries that will not allow American travelers across their borders without first obtaining a visa.

These 38 countries are:

188 Visa-Free Countries You Can Visit With a U.S. Passport in 2024

Countries Starting With A-C

Albania — southern Europe

American Samoa — Pacific Ocean

Andorra — southwestern Europe

Angola — southern Africa

Anguilla — Caribbean

Antigua and Barbuda — Caribbean

Argentina — South America

Armenia — West Asia

Aruba — southern Caribbean Sea

Australia — Oceania

Austria — Central Europe

Bahamas — northwestern West Indies

Bahrain — Middle East

Bangladesh — South Asia

Barbados — Caribbean

Belgium — western Europe

Belize — South America

Bermuda — Caribbean

Bolivia — South America

Bonaire; St. Eustatius and Saba — Caribbean

Bosnia and Herzegovina — southeast Europe

Botswana — southern Africa

British Virgin Islands — Caribbean

Brunei — southeast Asia

Bulgaria — southeast Europe

Burkina Faso — western Africa

Burundi — East Africa

Cambodia — southeast Asia

Canada — North America

Cape Verde — West Africa

Cayman Islands — Caribbean

Central African Republic — central Africa

Chile — South America

Columbia — South America

Comoro Islands — Indian Ocean

Cook Islands — Oceania

Costa Rica — Central America

Croatia — southeast Europe

Curacao — Caribbean

Cyprus — West Asia

Czechia — Central Europe

Countries Starting with E-H

Ecuador — South America

Egypt — northeast Africa

El Salvador — Central America

Estonia — northern Europe

eSwatini — southern Africa

Ethiopia — Horn of Africa

Falkland Islands — southern Atlantic Ocean

Faroe Islands — northeast Atlantic Ocean

Fiji — Oceania

Finland — northern Europe

France — western Europe

French Guiana — South America

French Polynesia — southern Pacific Ocean

French West Indies — Caribbean

Gabon — central Africa

Georgia — eastern Europe

Germany — western Europe

Gibraltar — western Europe

Greece — eastern Europe

Greenland — Arctic

Grenada — Caribbean

Guam — western Pacific Ocean

Guatemala — Central America

Guinea-Bissau — western Africa

Guyana — South America

Haiti — Caribbean

Honduras — Central America

Hong Kong (SAR China) — eastern Asia

Hungary — central Europe

Countries Starting with I-N

Iceland — northern Europe

Indonesia — southeast Asia

Iraq — Middle East

Ireland — western Europe

Israel — Middle East

Italy — southern Europe

Jamaica — Caribbean

Japan — East Asia

Jordan — West Asia

Kazakhstan — central Asia

Kenya — eastern Africa

Kiribati — central Pacific Ocean

Kosovo — southeastern Europe

Kuwait — Middle East

Kyrgyzstan — central Asia

Laos — southeast Asia

Latvia — northeastern Europe

Lebanon — Middle East

Lesotho — southern Africa

Liechtenstein — western Europe

Lithuania — northeastern Europe

Luxembourg — northwestern Europe

Macao (SAR China) — East Asia

Madagascar — southern Africa

Malawi — southern Africa

Malaysia — southeast Asia

Maldives — Indian Ocean

Malta — southern Europe

Marshall Islands — Oceania

Mauritania — western Africa

Mauritius — Indian Ocean

Mayotte — Indian Ocean

Mexico — North America

Micronesia — Oceania

Moldova — eastern Europe

Monaco — western Europe

Mongolia — East Asia

Montenegro — southern Europe

Montserrat — Caribbean

Morocco — northwestern Africa

Mozambique — southern Africa

Myanmar — southeast Asia

Namibia — southwestern Africa

Nepal — South Asia

Netherlands — western Europe

New Caledonia — Oceania

New Zealand — Oceania

Nicaragua — Central America

Niue — Oceania

North Macedonia — southeastern Europe

Northern Mariana Islands — northwestern Pacific Ocean

Norway — northern Europe

Countries Starting with O-Z

Oman — Middle East

Pakistan — South Asia

Palau Islands — Oceania

Palestinian Territory — Middle East

Panama — Central America

Paraguay — South America

Peru — South America

Philippines — southeast Asia

Poland — central Europe

Portugal — western Europe

Puerto Rico — Caribbean

Qatar — Middle East

Reunion — western Indian Ocean

Romania — southeastern Europe

Rwanda — central Africa

Samoa — central South Pacific Ocean

San Marino — southern Europe

Sao Tome and Principe — central Africa

Saudi Arabia — Middle East

Senegal — western Africa

Servia — southeastern Europe

Seychelles — Indian Ocean

Sierra Leone — western Africa

Singapore — southeast Asia

Slovakia — central Europe

Slovenia — central Europe

Solomon Islands — Oceania

Somalia — eastern Africa

South Africa — southern Africa

South Korea — East Asia

Spain — western Europe

Sri Lanka — Indian Ocean

Saint Helena — southern Atlantic Ocean

St. Kitts and Nevis — Caribbean

St. Lucia — Caribbean

St. Maarten — Caribbean

St. Vincent and the Grenadines — Caribbean

Suriname — South America

Sweden — northern Europe

Switzerland — central Europe

Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) — East Asia

Tajikistan — central Asia

Tanzania — eastern Africa

Thailand — southeast Asia

The Gambia — western Africa

Timor-Leste — southeast Asia

Togo — western Africa

Tonga — Oceania

Trinidad and Tobago — Caribbean

Tunisia — northern Africa

Turkey — western Asia

Turks and Caicos Islands — Caribbean

Tuvalu — west-central Pacific Ocean

Ukraine — eastern Europe

United Arab Emirates — Middle East

United Kingdom — western Europe

Uruguay — South America

U.S. Virgin Islands — Caribbean

Vanuatu — southwestern Pacific Ocean

Vatican City — southern Europe

Zambia — southern Africa

Zimbabwe — southern Africa

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Victor Maschek/Shutterstock.com