Overview
- Recent roundups cite Visa Index saying U.S. passport holders need visas for 47 countries, with 27 offering eVisas and 20 requiring consular applications.
- Examples of destinations requiring visas include Brazil, China, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Cuba, Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo.
- A separate Passport Index tally lists only nine mandatory‑visa countries for Americans, highlighting discrepancies among nonofficial sources.
- Seven destinations require electronic travel authorizations rather than full visas, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Israel, Kenya, New Zealand, Norfolk Island and St. Kitts and Nevis.
- The State Department is enforcing rules that passports issued more than 15 years ago are not eligible for renewal by mail and must be reapplied for in person with the DS‑11, and it advises travelers to use its country‑specific guidance and enroll in STEP.