The American passport, though not the strongest in the world, allows its citizens to travel internationally with little to no hurdles. However, there are many countries out there that do require Americans to apply to be allowed to visit in either the form of a tourist visa or electronic travel authorization (ETA).

Here is a list of some of the current countries US citizens need to file some extra paperwork for before they can get on the plane. This is an incomprehensive list and excludes countries the US Department of State has issued Level 4 travel alerts for. It also does not include the countries not currently issuing visas to Americans.

Here are the details.

Australia

Type: Australian Electronic Travel Authorization

How to Apply: Online or through the Australian ETA App

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to three months within a 12-month period

Cost: $12.56 (AUD $20)

Processing Time: Within one business day

Bhutan

Type: Bhutanese Visa

How to Apply: Online through a tour operator or the Bhutan government

Length of Time: Valid during the duration of scheduled travel.

Cost: $40 plus $200 per night (Sustainable Development Fee)

Processing Time: Up to five business days

More Information: https://abto.org.bt/

Plane tickets cannot be purchased until the visa has been approved.

Bolivia

Type: Bolivia Tourist Visa

How to Apply: Online through the Bolivian Consulate, or it can be purchased at any land or air border per the US Embassy in Bolivia. Residents of select states can apply in person at the Bolivian Consulate in Washington DC. Others can apply at New York, Miami, Houston, or Los Angeles. 

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to 30 days and not to exceed 90 total days in one year.

Cost: $160

Processing Time: N/A

Brazil

Type: Brazil eVisa (beginning April 10, 2025)

How to Apply: Online through the Brazilian Government-authorized website

Length of Time: Valid for travel up to 90 days within one year

Cost: $80.90

Processing Time: Up to five business days

China

Type: China Tourist Visa

How to Apply: Online through the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs before applying at a Chinese embassy or consulate in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, or Washington DC.

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to 30 days within a 90 day period

Cost: $140

Processing Time: Up to four business days

More Information: China does have a visa-free entry option for up 240 hours (10 days) when entering through & staying in certain provinces. Make sure to fully read and understand the guidelines if you do choose to travel on this option.

Egypt

Type: Egypt e-Visa

How to Apply: Online through the Egyptian Ministry of Interior or upon arrival at the airport in Egypt

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to 30 days within a 90 day period

Cost: $25 for one-time entry or $60 for a multi-entry visa

Processing Time: Up to seven business days

Ghana

Type: Ghanian Visa

How to Apply: Online through the Embassy of Ghana

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to 30 days from 90 days of issue

Cost: $60 (Standard Service) or $100 (Rush Service)

Processing Time: Up to 15 business days (Standard Service) or up 7 business days (Rush Service)

More Information: They offer both single and multi-entry visas, however, for tourism a single entry should be plenty.

India

Type: Indian e-Visa

How to Apply: Online through the Indian Bureau of Immigration

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to 30 days over a one-year period

Cost: $10-25, depending on the time of year

Processing Time: Up to three business days

More Information: indianembassyusa.gov.in

Indonesia

Type: Indonesia Visa on Arrival

How to Apply: Online through the Indonesian government

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to 30 days within a 90 day period

Cost: $30

Processing Time: N/A

More Information: id.usembassy.gov/visas/

Kenya

Type: Kenyan Electronic Travel Authorizan (eTA)

How to Apply: Online through the Directorate of Immigration Services

Length of Time: Valid for three months from the date of issue

Cost: $34

Processing Time: Up to three business days

Myanmar

Type: Myanmar Tourist eVisa

How to Apply: Online through Myanmar's Ministry of Immigration and Population

Length of Time: Valid for visits up to 28 days from 90 days of issue

Cost: $50

Processing Time: Up to three business days

More Information: evisa.moip.gov.mm

New Zealand

Type: New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)

How to Apply: Online through New Zealand Immigration or official mobile app (Apple) (Google Play)

Length of Time: Valid for travel up to three months from two years of issue

Cost: $10 (NZeTA mobile app) or $13 (online) plus a $57 ($100 NZD) International Visitor Conservatism fee

Processing Time: Up to three business days

Pakistan

Type: Visa Prior to Arrival

How to Apply: Online through the Pakistani government

Length of Time: Valid for multiple visits within 90 days

Cost: $60

Processing Time: One business day

More Information: https://visa.nadra.gov.pk/visa-prior-to-arrival-tourist/ and https://visa.nadra.gov.pk/downloads/application_guide.pdf

South Korea

Type: Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA)

How to Apply: Online through the South Korean Immigration Service or official mobile app (Apple) (Google Play)

Length of Time: Visits up to 90 days during a three year period

Cost: $7 (₩ 10,000)

Processing Time: Up to three business days

United Kingdom

Type: Electronic Travel Authorization

How to Apply: Online or through the UK's official mobile app (Apple) (Google Play)

Length of Time: Valid for multiple visits of up to six months over a two-year period

Cost: $13 (£10)

Processing Time: Up to three business days

More Information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

Watch Emma Apply: https://youtu.be/PWHq_hgKZlg

Vietnam

Type: Vietnam Electronic Visa

How to Apply: Online through the Vietnamese government

Length of Time: Valid for travel up to 30 days from 90 days of issue

Cost: $25

Processing Time: Up to three business days

Closing Thoughts

Governments can change requirements, processing times, costs, and more at any point so it's highly recommended you go directly to the country you want to visit's immigration pages before traveling to make sure you have the most up to date information. 

It's also a good idea to keep an eye on the State Department's pages for each country for information involving visas and any travel warnings. 

You'll also want to sign up for the Smart Traveler Program to get up to date information on where you're traveling to. This also allows your nearest embassy to help find you incase of an emergeny. 

Don't wait until the last minute to apply for a visa if you need one! You don't want to be at the airport with a pending application and denied boarding or turned around at the border after a long flight.