For years, America has enjoyed one of the strongest passports in the world, and while it has slipped in the rankings slightly (Henley & Partners, a global authority lists the US at #7 in 2023) it still takes you far.

Currently, Americans need visas for about 26 different countries (not including special autonomous regions or North Korea). The actual percentage of countries Americans are allowed to enter is hard to pinpoint as the US recognizes 196 of the 251 countries and territories recognized by the UN.

Naturally, the territories and regions that America doesn’t recognize are rarely on good terms with Americans and this may confound the count of countries we have access to. In this article, I’ve done my best to compile an up-to-date list of countries that require visas from Americans.

Countries That Require Visa Paperwork For US Citizens

Below are all of the countries (not including North Korea and various autonomous regions) that require US citizens to obtain a visa in 2023. For most of these, you must visit an embassy or consulate to obtain your visa. Usually, this is due to strained relationships between the US and the corresponding nation.

I’ve listed these countries and the locations of their embassies and consulates in the US below:

  • Afghanistan – Embassy in Washington DC and 2 consulates in Beverly Hills, CA, and New York. As of 2021, the US government seized control of these locations as it does not officially recognize the current government.
  • Algeria – Embassy in Washington DC and 1 consulate in New York
  • Belarus – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Bhutan – No official diplomatic relations with the US. All contact is maintained through a Bhutanese mission in New York State. Tourists are charged US$200 per day just to be in the country.
  • Burundi – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Bolivia – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Cameroon – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Chad – Embassy in Washington DC
  • China – Embassy in Washington DC, 5 consulates in: Chicago, IL, Houston, TX, Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, San Francisco, CA
  • Republic of Congo – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Eritrea – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Ghana – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Iran – No official embassy in the US. Interests Section in Washington DC
  • Liberia – Embassy in Washington DC, 1 Consulate in New York, NY
  • Libya – No embassy. Representative office in Washington DC
  • Nauru – Embassy in New York, NY
  • Niger – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Nigeria – Embassy in Washington DC. 2 consulates in: New York, NY and Atlanta, GA
  • Pakistan – Embassy in Washington DC. 1 consulate in: Chicago, IL
  • Russia – Embassy in Washington DC. 4 consulates in: Houston, TX, Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, New York, NY
  • Sudan – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Syria – Due to conflicts, the US has ended all diplomatic relationships with the country and closed its embassy in DC.
  • Turkmenistan – Embassy in Washington DC. Right now, they seldom give out tourist visas unless you’ve been invited to the country or booked a tour with a tour group.
  • Uzbekistan – Embassy in Washington DC
  • Venezuela – Embassy in Washington DC. 6 consulates in: New York, NY, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Houston, TX, New Orleans, LA, San Francisco, CA
  • Yemen – Embassy in Washington DC. 2 consulates in: New York, NY, San Francisco, CA

Popular Countries that Require E-Visas For US Citizens

Besides the above countries requiring a complex visa application process for entry, there are several countries that require an e-visa from visiting US nationals. These visas are obtained through an online application filled out shortly before your trip. Some of these include:

  • Australia
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Kenya
  • Myanmar
  • Vietnam

Writing this article has made me want to do more deep dives into difficult visas to obtain and partially-recognized countries and autonomous regions. I will return to this article regularly for updates and will link to further work on more complicated visa arrangements.

Interested in learning more about how visa blocklisting works? I wrote another article on that you can read here.

Until next time.