There’s a new type of visa taking the world by storm—eVisas! Discover which countries require a visa for US citizens and countries with eVisas that you can apply for NOW. If you’re the type of traveler who likes a quick pace and frequent change of scenery (say, someone who would enjoy adventure travel or short-term volunteer programs perhaps), then eVisas are about to change your life.
These visas perfectly fit our fast-paced 21st century and (somewhat unfortunate) need for instant gratification; they’re easy to apply for and you receive them almost instantaneously in your email. Say adios, or au revoir, or sayonara, or—you get it—to driving for hours to the nearest embassy and waiting in never-ending lines. (But if you DO have to go, make sure to check out this embassy finder for any country!)
Hang on just one sec, though. You should know that these visas don’t apply to every kind of travel. Are you a student spending a semester in Portugal? A gapper spending a year in New Zealand? This article probably isn’t for you if you’re planning a jaunt abroad that will last more than 90 days (but this other article might help).
There are countries with eVisas (print from your email and bring it to the airport with you) and countries with easy visa requirements (like visa on arrival), and we’ve compiled lists of both. And scroll to the bottom of this article for a list of countries that require no visa for US citizens!
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13 countries with eVisas for American citizens (aka—apply for visas online!)
Editor’s Note: All information was accurate at the time of publication; if you’re not American, check out this tool to quickly find countries with easy visa requirements for you!
1. Australia
Thank your lucky stars that Australia is one of many countries with eVisas. This place rocks.
Australia has one of the most straightforward application processes of the eVisa countries. The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) for Australia is multiple entry and valid for 12 months upon approval, with a maximum stay of three months. This eVisa covers trips for tourism or business purposes. The application process is exceptionally easy, requiring only a valid passport and fee payment—so make like a kangaroo and hop to it.
- What can I do with my visa? Volunteer with animals, camp in the Outback, road trip along the coast, and more!
- Apply here: Australia eVisa for Americans
2. Azerbaijan
Now’s your chance to visit someplace most people will never go (and most likely have never heard of). Azerbaijan’s eVisa is single entry, valid for 90 days upon approval, and grants a stay of up to 30 days. The process requires a short application, passport information, and a fee. If you’re approved (and why wouldn’t you be?!), your visa will show up in your email a short while later, and you can be on your way via air, sea, or land.
- What can I do with my visa? Volunteer in community development and more!
- Apply here: Azerbaijan eVisa for Americans
3. Cambodia
Angkor Wat, here we come! The eVisa for Cambodia allows stays up to 30 days, and only those whose travels are defined as tourism are eligible (i.e. no students or job seekers). To be approved for a Cambodia eVisa, you need a passport valid for at least 6 months and that has at least one blank passport page, a passport-sized color photo, and you’ll need to pay the application fee with a valid debit or credit card. You will also need two copies of your eVisa for both entry and exit.
- What can I do with my visa? Backpack through the countryside, volunteer your English skills, and more!
- Apply here: Cambodia eVisa for Americans
4. Egypt
You can apply for visas online today and be amongst the Wonders of the World tomorrow.
As one of the eVisa countries with some of the most well-known sites in the world, you’ll be glad to know the application process is straightforward; however, accommodation details are required for approval. This eVisa allows single and multiple entry (you’ll decide upon application), is valid for 90 days from the date of issue, and allows 30 days in the country. Not enough time? Don’t worry—you can apply for an extension in-country. You’ll be on your way to the Pyramids, Sphinx, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria soon!
- What can I do with my visa? Volunteer on an organic farm, love on street animals, and more!
- Apply here: Egypt eVisa for Americans
5. India
The India eVisa is multiple entry and valid for 365 days, allowing up to 90 consecutive days in-country per visit—which is fantastic news, considering you could spend up to 24 hours on a train getting from point A to point B (this place is huge!). As long as you have a passport valid for 6 months from your intended date of arrival in India, a passport-style photo, and a valid debit or credit card, you’ll be all set. DON’T forget to print your visa and have it on you when you arrive. P.S. This visa is valid for yoga retreats too! Namaste.
- What can I do with my visa? Go on a yoga retreat in the Himalayas, snorkel in Goa, explore Tibetan history, support gender equality, and more!
- Apply here: India eVisa for Americans
6. Kenya
Wanna spend up to six months in Africa? Kenya eVisas are single entry, but allow 90 consecutive days in-country with an option to extend for an additional 90 days once you arrive. Upon issue, your visa will remain valid for entry for three months. To receive your visa, you need a passport valid for 6 months from your intended date of arrival, at least two blank passport pages, a passport-sized photo, proof of travel (such as hotel reservation or flight itinerary), a debit or credit card for fee payment, relevant photocopies, *deep breath*, and printed proof of onward travel upon entry. After all that, your visa will be electronically linked to your passport and you will also receive a PDF version in your email.
- What can I do with my visa? Enjoy a two-week safari, go on a beach road trip, support a local medical center, and more!
- Apply here: Kenya eVisa for Americans
7. Laos
Laos often gets overlooked for Thailand and Vietnam, but it deserves ALL your attention.
Just introduced in July of 2019, the Laos eVisa is valid for 60 days from the date of issue and allows for 30 days in the country. Like any other eVisa, you will receive your visa via email; however, you should allow at least one week processing time, so hopefully we caught you before you booked that flight for tomorrow evening. BONUS: eVisa holders receive expedited (that’s right, expedited) entry into Laos through four international airports and three different gateways from Thailand. Application requirements are nearly the same as Kenya, but you will need to provide accommodation details as well.
- What can I do with my visa? Meditate with monks, volunteer with rescued elephants, and more!
- Apply here: Laos eVisa for Americans
8. Myanmar
Myanmar is one of the eVisa countries where you won’t yet find swarms of tourists, so get going before the secret gets out! The Myanmar eVisa allows a single entry stay of 28 days; it is valid only at selected ports of entry, so plan accordingly. Upon arrival, you will need a printed copy of your visa, as well as proof of hotel reservations, sufficient travel funds, and onward ticket. Myanmar business eVisas are also available.
- What can I do with my visa? Support vulnerable populations, tour the lush countryside, and more!
- Apply here: Myanmar eVisa for Americans
9. New Zealand (beginning October 2019)
New Zealand is another one of the eVisa countries where it probably takes longer to book a flight than to get a visa. This eVisa will be required beginning October 1, 2019, and will be quite similar to the Australian ETA. Once you fill out a few questions via online application and pay your fee, you will receive your ETA in your email. These are multiple entry visas and valid for two years from the date of issue. Make sure to print it out and bring it with you, otherwise you might never get to throw that ring into Mount Doom.
- What can I do with my visa? Bungy jump in Queenstown, hike Mount Doom (duh), plant trees in jade forests, and more!
- More info: New Zealand ETA
10. Sri Lanka
Go find your zen in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is exceptionally gorgeous and exceptionally easy to get into. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Your eVisa will be double entry, valid for six months from the date of issue, and allow up to 30 days in-country; it’s valid at all ports of entry too (score!). If you have a valid passport for the next six months and a valid credit or debit card, you’re ready to apply for your eVisa. Don’t miss out on cricket while you’re there!
- What can I do with my visa? Keep an eye on tiny sea turtles, protect wild elephants, explore ancient caves, and more!
- Apply here: Sri Lanka eVisa for Americans
11. Tanzania
The Tanzania eVisa is a bit more flexible than many others on this list. It allows multiple entries into the country for stays of up to 90 days every 180 days, and is valid for one year after approval—but is valid at only five points of entry. Your Tanzania eVisa will also grant you access to Zanzibar! The application process, in addition to all the usual stuff, will require two passport-sized photos and proof of onward travel. You will need to print your approval letter AND grant notice, and present them upon your arrival.
- What can I do with my visa? Volunteer with children, learn about dolphin conservation, see Kilimanjaro rise like Olympus above the Serengeti, and more!
- Apply here: Tanzania eVisa for Americans
12. Turkey
Depending on what you select during the application process, your Turkey eVisa will be either single or multiple entry, and allow stays for either 30 or 90 days. In order to be granted a visa, you need a passport that will be valid for at least 60 days beyond your stay, two blank pages in your passport, and there’s a fee involved as well (there always is, isn’t there?). You may be required to provide other travel documentation, like proof of onward travel, at your time of arrival.
- What can I do with my visa? Pick olives in the countryside, read to young people, and more!
- Apply here: Turkey eVisa for Americans
13. Vietnam
Last but not least, the Vietnam eVisa grants recipients perhaps the most freedom of all countries with eVisas. Your eVisa will allow you to tour, do business, study, make investments, find labor employment, and more. The catch? These ones allow stays of only 30 days. As usual, in order to be granted a visa you will need a passport valid for 6 months, a passport-sized photo, a valid form of online payment, and accommodation information. Don’t forget to print your visa and bring it with you!
- What can I do with my visa? Earn your TEFL, study human rights and the Vietnam War, work with children with disabilities, sail Ha Long Bay, and more!
- Apply here: Vietnam eVisa for Americans
Countries with eVisas that can be applied for online, but which have slightly more complicated or extensive requirements, include Bahrain, Benin, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Please visit their respective government, embassy, or immigration websites for comprehensive information on the application process.
[Related: International Visas: What You Need to Know]
Other countries with easy visa requirements (aka—visa on arrival!)
Be sure to research fees at your port of entry for your destination. Visa on arrival doesn’t always mean free! Furthermore, these visas don’t cover every type of travel, and typically cover lengths of stay between 30-90 days. For more in-depth information, visit your destination’s government or immigration website.
- Angola
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Burkina Faso
- Cape Verde
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Nepal
- Paraguay
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- Timor Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
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Bonus: No visa for US citizens needed!
We encourage you to double-check entry requirements via your destination’s government, embassy, or immigration website. Although these countries require no visas for American citizens, it’s possible that they charge a fee at the port of entry. Allowed lengths of stay most likely fall between 30-90 days in most locations; stays beyond that amount will usually require visas.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Brazil (eVisa no longer required but may be again soon)
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Saint Kitts & Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
- San Marino
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa (eVisa will be required soon)
- South Korea
- Spain
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Tunisia (eVisa will be required soon)
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
Apply for visas online and start traveling sooner!
Find countries with easy visa requirements, apply for visas online, and then get gone, pal.
If you didn’t find your intended destination on one of the lists above, don’t worry. Where there’s a will, there’s a way (unless it’s North Korea or Cuba...then you might be SOL)—and don’t forget that lengthy, in-person visa applications aren’t a BAD thing. They do, after all, get you one step closer to meaningful experiences abroad.
Now that you’re equipped with crucial visa information, you’re ready for the next steps in planning your meaningful travel. Need to book a flight? Find accommodation? Buy insurance? Yes, yes, and yes. Well, we’ve got you covered there too. Safe travels!
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