Visas: If a visa is required, obtain it from the appropriate foreign consular representative or from a Visa Service, allowing enough time for mailing and processing.

The following is based upon information gathered by the U.S. State Department prior to October 2004. As this information is subject to change, we suggest that you check with the consular office of the countries to be visited well in advance. you may also check for updated information here.

For information about requesting a passport within 2 weeks of travel, click here.

International Entry Requirements for U.S. citizens

• ALBANIA: Passport required. An entry stamp must be purchased at point of entry, and is valid for a stay up to 90 days. The entry stamp fee is 10 euro and payment must be made in cash in euro, or equivalent USD.
• ARGENTINA - Passport required. Visa not required for business/tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• ARUBA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• AUSTRALIA - Passport, Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or non-electronic label visa, proof of onward or return ticket, and sufficient funds are required. See eta.immi.gov.au for more information. Please click on the "Apply for ETA" button in the top left hand corner to fill in the on-line application form for an ETA visa. Additional information regarding this visa can be found at the various links directly below the "Apply for ETA" and "Check you ETA" buttons.
• AUSTRIA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 day
• BAHAMAS - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• BELGIUM - Passport required. Visa not required for business/tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• BOLIVIA - Passport and visa required. Contact the Embassy of Bolivia at 4420 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite #2, Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-232-4828 or 232-4827; Website: bolivia-usa.org. There are Bolivian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, and Seattle.
• BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days
• BRAZIL - Passport and visa required. Contact the Brazilian Embassy at 3009 Whitehaven St. N.W., Washington, D.C., 20008; Telephone: 202-461-3000; E-mail consular@consbrasdc.org; Website: brasilemb.org. Note that those living outside of the this region must contact the consulate of their jurisdiction. There are Brazilian Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. Please check the processing time with the local Consulates or with CIBT if you choose to apply for your visa through their service, as Consulates in Los Angeles and San Francisco are reporting processing times of up to 40 days.
• BULGARIA - Passport required. Visa not required for stays of up to 30 days.
• CAMBODIA - Passport and visa required. Tourists may obtain a Cambodian visa at the airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and at all major border crossings. A passport-sized photograph and a passport that is valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Cambodia are required. Contact the Royal Embassy of Cambodia, 4500 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20022; Telephone: 202-726-7742; Fax: 202-726-8381.
• CANADA –Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 180 days.
• CHILE - Passport required. Visa not required for stay of up to 90 days.
• CHINA, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF - Passport and visa required. Contact Embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) at 2300 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Washington. D.C. 20008; Telephone: 1-202-328-2500. china-embassy.org/eng/ for more info. There are also Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
• COLOMBIA - Passport and onward/return ticket required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 60 days.
• COSTA RICA - Passport and onward/return ticket required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• CROATIA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• CZECH REPUBLIC - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• DENMARK - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Passport required. A 90-day tourist card must be purchased for $10 upon arrival at immigration. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• ECUADOR (including the Galapagos Islands) - Passport required. Visa not required for a stay of up to 90 days.
• EGYPT - Passport and visa required. Visas may be purchased at the Cairo airport upon arrival, for approximately $20 and is payable in cash US dollars. Therefore there is no need to acquire a visa in advance for US citizens holding US passports. All other nationalities should contact the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, 3521 International Court, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: (202) 895-5400. There are also Egyptian Consulates General in New York, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco.
• ESTONIA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days..
• FINLAND - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days
• FRANCE - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days in France, Andorra, Monaco, and Corsica..
• GERMANY - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days. .
• GIBRALTAR - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• GREECE - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist/business stay of up to 90 days.
• GUATEMALA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• HONG KONG - Passport and onward/return ticket required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• HUNGARY - Passport and onward/return ticket required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• ICELAND - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• INDIA - Passport and visa required. Contact the Embassy of India at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-939-9849 or 939-9806; Website: indianembassy.org. There are Indian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco.
• INDONESIA - Passport and visa required. Contact the Indonesian Embassy, 2020 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; Telephone: 202-775-5200; Website: embassyofindonesia.org. There are Indonesian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Fransisco.
• IRELAND - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• ISRAEL -Passport, onward/return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• ITALY - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay up to 90 days.
• JAMAICA - Passport, onward/return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• JAPAN - Passport and onward/return ticket required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• JORDAN - Passport and visa required. Visas for tourist visits can be obtained upon arrival at most international ports of entry including Amman's international airport, and land crossings from Israel at Arava/Eilat South Border and Sheikh Hussein/North Border. Single entry visa costs $17 and mulitple entry visa costs $32 approximately. For entry into Jordan via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge, a visa must be obtained in advance. Contact the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 3504 International Drive, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone: 202-966-2664.
  jordanembassyus.org/new/consular/visas.shtml
• LAOS - Passport and visa required. Contact the Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2222 S St. N.W., Washington DC 20008; Telephone: 202-332-6416; Fax: 202-332-4923; Website: laoembassy.com.
• LATVIA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• LIBYA - Gate 1 does not offer tour programs to Libya. In the instance that a cruise itinerary includes a stop in Libya, passengers may only disembark as part of an organized excursion group; otherwise, entry will not be allowed.
• LITHUANIA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• LUXEMBOURG -Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• MALAYSIA - Passport required. Visa not required for stay of up to 3 months.
• MALTA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• MEXICO - Passport required. A tourist card must be purchased for $20 upon arrival at immigration. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• MONTENEGRO - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• MOROCCO - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• NEPAL - Passport and visa required. A dual entry visa is required for entry into India and Nepal. Tourist visas can be purchased upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and at all other ports of entry and must be paid in cash. Contact the Royal Nepalese Embassy at 2131 Leroy Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; Telephone 202-667-4550; Website: nepalembassyusa.org. Contact the Consulate General in New York at 212-370-3988. Passengers should bring two passport sized photographs for the visa.
• NETHERLANDS - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist visit of up to 90 days.
• NEW ZEALAND - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• NORWAY - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• PANAMA - Passport and onward/return ticket required. A tourist card must be purchased for $5 upon arrival at immigration. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• PERU - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• POLAND - Passport and proof of sufficient funds required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• PORTUGAL - (Includes travel to the Azores and Madeira Islands.) Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• ROMANIA - Passport required. Visa not required for a stay of up to 90 days.
• RUSSIA - Passport and visa required. A tourist visa, valid for 30 days, requires 1 application form, 1 photo, confirmation and voucher from travel agency and/or hotel in Russia, cover letter from travel agency, and a processing fee. Contact the Embassy of the Russian Federation at 2650 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington DC, 20007; Telephone: 202-298-5700; Fax: 202-298-5735; Website: russianembassy.org
• SINGAPORE - Passport, onward/return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds required. Visa not required for tourist stays of up to 90 days.
• SLOVAK REPUBLIC - Passport and proof of sufficient health insurance coverage and funds required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• SLOVENIA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• SOUTH AFRICA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days. PLEASE NOTE: All passport holders are required to have at least one, entirely blank (unstamped) visa page (i.e. one side of such a page not front and back thereof) in their passport, each time entry is sought into South Africa. This includes re-entry from Swaziland. These pages are in addition to the endorsement/amendment pages at the back of the passport. South African government regulations prohibit airlines from boarding passengers without the required blank visa page.
• SPAIN - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay up to 90 days.
• SWEDEN - Passport required. Visa not required for a stay of up to 90 days.
• SWAZILAND - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 60 days. PLEASE NOTE: All passport holders traveling to Swaziland from South Africa are strongly encouraged to have several unstamped visa pages left in their passports. South Africa requires two unstamped visa pages, excluding amendment pages, to enter the country. Visitors who do not have enough free visa pages in their passport risk being denied entry and returned to the U.S. at their own expense.
• SWITZERLAND - Passport required. Visa not required for tourism/study stay of less than 90 days.
• TAIWAN - Passport, onward/return ticket, and valid visa for next destination, if applicable, required.
• THAILAND - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay up to 30 days.
• TIBET - A group permit is required for travel to Tibet and will be obtained for you upon final payment. The cost of this permit is included in the package price. .
• TUNISIA - Passport and onward/return ticket required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 120 days
• TURKEY - Passport and visa required. Visas can be obtained at Istanbul international airport for tourist/business visits of up to 3 months and costs approximately $20 to be paid upon arrival.
  When visiting Turkey on a cruise itinerary: Visas are not required for shore excursions to Kusadasi and Istanbul.
  When entering Turkey via a land border crossing, we recommend purchasing prior to travel through a Turkish consular office in the U.S. Contact the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey at 2525 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone: (202) 612-6700, or the Turkish consulates general in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, or New York. Information may also be found at turkey.org.
• UKRAINIAN RIVER CRUISE:Passport and visa required for extension in Istanbul, Turkey. Passengers with a post-stay in Istanbul will be required to purchase the visa at the Turkish border crossing during the transfer from Nesebar to Istanbul. Passengers must pay $20 USD (cash only).
• UKRAINE - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days
• UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Passport is required. For stays of 30 days or less, U.S. citizens holding valid passports may obtain visitor visas at the port of entry for no fee. For a longer stay, a traveler must obtain a visa before arrival in the UAE. Contact the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, 3522 International Court, NW, Washington, DC 20037, telephone (202) 243-2400.
  Website: uae-embassy.org.
• UNITED KINGDOM(England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales) - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 180 days.
• URUGUAY - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days.
• VIETNAM - Passport and visa required. Contact Vietnamese Embassy, 1233 20th Street, Suite 400, NW, Washington, DC 20036; Website: vietnamembassy-usa.org. There is a Vietnamese Consulate General in San Francisco.

All information provided pertains to U.S. passport holders only. All information and rates are subject to change without notice. Information is compiled from U.S. State Department, and is accurate, to the best of our knowledge, as of April 5, 2002.

If you're traveling within two weeks, fill out the National Passport Information Center's electronic form to explain your situation and request expedited handling of your passport. If your travel is within seven days, call the Information Center at 877-487-2778 to make emergency arrangements.

You can make an appointment with a passport agency if your departure date is within 14 days. Only 14 of these agencies are open to the public; they're located in Boston; Chicago; Honolulu; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; New Orleans; New York City; Philadelphia; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; Aurora, Colorado; and Norwalk, Connecticut

Alternately, you can try contacting your congressperson's office for assistance if your trip is within two weeks. Your congressperson (or someone in his or her office) can locate your passport application and request expedited service.