What Visas Do Americans Need To Apply For In Advance?

Today, I was chatting with a colleague about my radical idea to take a year off and travel the world. Generally, the reaction is horror and confusion, followed by the question, how can you afford to do that? This time though, my friend looked at me with excitement in his eyes and asked me if I had started applying for visas. My response to which was…no?

Up to this point in my preparation, I had simply been putting together the list of places I would ideally like to visit during my gap year. However, I hadn’t even considered the fact that I would need to apply for visas, and that some of them would be difficult to obtain. In the back of my mind, I knew that this would be a part of the process at some point, but did you know that visas to certain countries can take up to a year for approval? I didn’t. So I put on my research hat and got to work on a list of countries for which I could not obtain a visa upon arrival or simply enter the country visa free.

As of 2014, Americans were able to travel to a total of 174 countries without a visa, or with a visa granted upon arrival, so that is good news. However some of my top destinations, ones that I don’t want to miss, require advanced applications and have strenuous approval processes.

Here is the list of countries for which I should obtain an advance visa; compiled after extensive research and much too much caffeine:

1. Cuba
2. Brazil
3. China
4. Russia
5. Azerbaijan
6. Cambodia
7. Vietnam
8. Paraguay: Though the visa is only available upon arrival, you can only be granted a visa at the international airport
9. Argentina: Online reciprocity fee, $160 paid in advance and good for 10 years
10. Bolivia: $130 fee paid online before arrival, or in cash upon arrival
11. Sri Lanka: Electronic Travel Authorization… whatever that means
12. India: eTourist visa obtained online in advance for $60 fee
13. Myanmar: eVisa must be obtained in advance and you must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports
14. Turkey: eVisa, can be applied for in advance
15. Galapagos Islands: Online preregistration is required

Here is the full list of countries that require advanced visas for US citizens:

1. Afganistan
2. Algeria
3. Angola
4. Azerbaijan
5. Belarus
6. Benin
7. Brazil
8. Burundi
9. Bhutan
10. Cameroon
11. Central African Republic
12. Chad
13. China
14. Cuba
15. Democratic Republic of Congo
16. Republic of Congo
17. Eritrea
18. Gabon
19. Ghana
20. Guinea
21. Iran
22. Iraq
23. North Korea
24. Liberia
25. Libya
26. Mali
27. Mozambique
28. Nauru
29. Niger
30. Nigeria
31. Pakistan
32. Russia
33. Saudi Arabia (No tourist visas granted)
34. Sierra Leone
35. Somalia
36. South Sudan
37. Sudan
38. Syria
39. Turkmenistan
40. Uzbekistan
41. Venezuela
42. Vietnam
43. Yemen
44. Margarita Island
45. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
46. Crimea
47. Abkhazia

Well folks, I know what I will be doing on nights and weekends for the next couple months. I am not too worried about being approved for most of the visas that I will need, however, Russia and China are intimidating. If anyone has experience applying for and being granted tourist visas in those countries, please let me know!

Happy Travels!

B