Tourist Visa Tips for U.S. Citizens

Monitor your passport's expiration date to prevent difficulties in planning international travel

When planning for a holiday outside of the United States, it's imperative to ensure travel legalities are met to ensure smooth planning and travel.

First things first, in order to travel outside the United States, you need an active passport to travel to most countries. It takes several months to apply and renew passports, so, to facilitate travel planning, apply for your first passport at least one year prior to when you want to take your trip. For U.S. citizens 16 years and older, passports last for 10 years; for children ages 15 and younger, passports last 5 years.

Tip: Many countries will not allow U.S. citizens to enter if passport expiration date is within 6 months of travel. If your passport is going to expire soon, submit a renewal application at least one year before expiration will facilitate easier travel planning.

Passport Pages: You also want to make sure you have multiple blank pages on your passport as some countries require at least 2 blank visa pages for entry.

Note: There are some countries where U.S. citizens don't need a passport such as American Samoa, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. Check out this article by Travel + Leisure for more information about countries U.S. citizens can travel to without a passport.

In addition to a passport, U.S. citizens will also need a REAL ID for domestic and international travel occurring on and after May 7, 2025.

What are tourist visas? Tourist visas allow non-citizens traveling to other countries to enter for certain durations (some as short as 30 days).

Do you need a travel visa to travel to your dream destination? That depends on the country you want to visit and if they require a visa for U.S. citizens. Find out if you need a tourist visa at the U.S. Department of State.

Did You Know: As of March 2025, U.S. citizens can travel to over 180 countries for short periods of time without needing a tourist visa.

Need a tourist visa to enter your destination? How do you get one?

Tip: Prior to your travels, you can apply for a E-Visa on your destination's visa website to reduce your time at the airport. If unable, when landing at your destination, airports and/or U.S. embassies can assist you with getting a Visa On Arrival (VOA).

How much are tourist visas? It varies by country and type of tourist visa you want. For example, tourist visas for U.S. citizens for Australia are currently 145 AUD ($88.85 USD) whereas a 30-day tourist visa for Maldives is currently no cost. After checking the U.S. Department of State to determine if you need a tourist visa, visit your destination's visa official website for application and cost information.

Europe Travel: Starting January 8, 2025, all U.S. citizens will need Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to travel to European countries such as United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Austria and Greece. As of the date this blog post is published, the official European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) states "ETIAS is currently not in operation and will not start in the first half of 2025. No action is required from travellers at this point. The European Union will inform about the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch."

Tip: Stay up to date on ETIAS implementation here. Once operational, you will have to pay an application fee of €7.

Wishing you happy travels and smooth planning!