US Passport Allows Visa-Free or Visa-on-Arrival to Many Countries

US citizens traveling on their US passport have a long list of countries which allow visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry if you are traveling solely for the pupose of tourism.  For business trips, a visa might still be required for these countries. 

Albania: No visa required but 10 Euro entry tax fee. Maximum stay of 30 days.
Andorra: Enter via Spain or France. Maximum stay of 90 days.

Anguilla: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Antigua and Barbuda: Maximum stay of 1 month.
Argentina: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Antarctica: No maximum stay noted.
Armenia: Visa on arrival but only if arriving at Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan. Fee is 30 USD for a maximum stay of 21 days.

Aruba: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Austria: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Azerbaijan: Visa on arrival with 40 USD fee and passport photo. Maximum stay of 30 days and only for cities listed in visa.

Bahamas: Maximum stay of 1 month.
Bahrain: Visa on arrival with 13.50 USD (approx) fee. Maximum stay of 14 days.

Bali (Indonesia) : Visa on arrival - fee depends on length of stay, 7-30 days.

Barbados: Maximum stay of 6 months.
Belgium: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Belize: Maximum stay of 1 month.

Bermuda: Maximum stay of 6 months.
Bolivia: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Botswana: Maximum stay of 90 days.

*Brazil: All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for Brazil.

British Virgin Islands: Maximum stay of 30 days.
Brunei Darussalam: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Bulgaria: Maximum stay of 90 days.

Burma: All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for Myanmar (Burma). Visa on arrival 28 days $40 reinstated June 2012.
Cambodia: If arriving at international airports, visa on arrival with 20 USD fee and passport photo. Maximum stay of 1 month.
Canada: Maximum stay of 6 months.

Cayman Islands: Maximum stay of 30 days.
Chile: Maximum stay of 90 days.

*China (PRC China): All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for China.
Colombia: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Comoros Islands: Visa on arrival at Immigration Office downtown - fee varies depending on length of stay.
Costa Rica Maximum stay of 90 days.
Cook Islands: Maximum stay of 31 days.
Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast): Maximum stay of 90 days.
Croatia: Maximum stay of 90 days.

Cuba: Visa not required; however tourist card must be purchased at airline or travel agency for 25 USD prior to travel. Note that the US government restricts most forms of tourist travel to Cuba by American citizens. Tourist travel to Cuba via another country, such as Canada, may result in prosecution or fines by the US authorities.
Cyprus & Northern Cyprus: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Czech Republic: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Denmark (including Faroe Islands & Greenland): Maximum stay of 90 days.
Djibouti: Visa on arrival - fee varies depending on length of stay. Maximum stay of 1 month.

Dominica: Maximum stay of 6 months.

Dominican Republic: No visa but tourist card issued for 10 USD fee. Maximum stay of 30 days.
Ecuador: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Egypt: Visa on arrival - fee 15 USD. Maximum stay of 30 days.
El Salvador: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Equatorial Guinea: No Maximum stay indicated.
Eritrea: Visa on arrival and passport photo required - fee varies. Maximum stay of 1 month.
Eritrea: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Ethiopia: Visa on arrival and 2 passport photos required - fee varies. Maximum stay of 3 months.

Faroe Islands: Maximum stay of 90 days (Denmark).
Fiji: Maximum stay of 4 months.
Finland: Maximum stay of 3 months.
France (including Monaco): Maximum stay of 3 months.
French Guiana: Maximum stay of 3 months.
French Polynesia: Maximum stay of 1 month.

French Antilles/Caribbean/West Indies: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Georgia: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Germany: Maximum stay of 90 days.

Gibraltar: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Greece: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Greenland: Maximum stay of 90 days (Denmark).

Grenada: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Guam: US Territory.
Guatemala: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Guyana: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Haiti: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Honduras: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Hong Kong: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Hungary: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Iceland: Maximum stay of 3 months.

*India: All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for India.
Indonesia: Visa on arrival - fee varies depending on length of stay. Maximum stay of 30 days.
Ireland (Eire): Maximum stay of 3 months.
Israel (including Palestinian Territories): Maximum stay of 3 months.
Italy (including San Marino): Maximum stay of 3 months.

Jamaica: Maximum stay of 6 months.

Japan: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Jordan: Visa on arrival for fee of 10 Jordanian Dollars (free if part of licensed tour group.) Maximum stay of 3 months.

*Korea (North): Visa is REQUIRED. Available only in Beijing, China or Paris, France.
Korea (South): Maximum stay of 1 month.

Kosovo: Enter via Serbia. Maximum stay of 90 days.
Kuwait: Visa on arrival for fee of 5 Kuwait Dollars. Maximum stay of 3 months.

Kyrgyzstan: Visa on arrival for fee of 35 USD. Maximum stay of 1 month.
Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic): Visa on arrival 30 days $35.
Latvia: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Lebanon: Visa on arrival for free if staying 1 month or less.
Lesotho: Maximum stay of 14 days.
Liechtenstein: Same as Switzerland. Maximum stay of 90 days.
Lithuania: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Luxembourg: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Macau: Maximum stay of 30 days.

Macedonia (former FYROM): Maximum stay of 3 months.
Malawi: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Malaysia: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Maldives: Visa on arrival for fee of MVR 750 (Local Currency) for maximum stay of 30 days.
Malta: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Mariana Islands: US Territory

Marshall Islands: No visa required.
Mauritius: Maximum stay of 6 months.
Mexico: Maximum stay of 6 months. Tourist card may be required depending on location of travel within Mexico.

Micronesia: Maximum stay of 30 days.
Moldova: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Mongolia: Maximum stay of 90 days. Visitors must register with police department within 10 days
of arrival.
Montserrat: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Morocco: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Mozambique: Visa on arrival for 25 USD. Maximum stay of 30 days.

*Myanmar: All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for Myanmar (Burma). Visa on arrival 28 days $40 reinstated June 2012.

Namibia: (former South West Africa) Maximum stay of 3 months.
Nepal: Visa on arrival. Fee varies depending on length of stay. Maximum stay of 150 days.
Netherlands – Holland, including Netherlands Antilles: Maximum stay of 3 months.
New Caledonia: Maximum stay of 1 month.
New Zealand: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Nicaragua: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Niger: Visa on arrival (fee) and 2 passport photos. Maximum stay of 1 month.

*Nigeria: All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for Nigeria.

Niue: Maximum stay of 30 days.
Norway: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Oman: Visa on arrival. Fee for 6 OMR (Local Currency). Maximum stay of 1 month.
Palau: Visa not required for stays up to 30 days.
Panama: Visa not required but tourist card is required for 5 USD. Maximum stay of 30 days.
Papua New Guinea: Visa on arrival for 500 PGK (Local Currency) for a maximum stay of 60 days. Must arrive at Jackson International. Airport or Kagamuga Airport.
Peru: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Philippines: Maximum stay of 21 days.
Poland: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Portugal: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Puerto Rico: US Territory
Qatar: Visa on arrival for 55 QAR (Local Currency). Maximum stay of 21 days.
Reunion Island: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Romania: Maximum stay of 90 days.

*Russia: All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for Russia.

Rwanda: Visa on arrival for no charge. Maximum stay of 3 months.
Samoa (Western): Visa not required but visitor permit must be obtained on arrival. Maximum stay of 60 days.
Samoa (American): US Territory
Senegal: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Serbia and Montenegro: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Seychelles: Visa not required but visitor permit to be obtained on arrival. Maximum stay 1 month.

Singapore: Visa not required. Maximum stay of 30 days.

Slovak Republic: Maximum stay of 90 days.

Slovenia: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Solomon Islands: Visa not required but visitor permit to be obtained on arrival. Maximum stay 3 months.
South Africa: Maximum stay of 90 days.
Spain: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Sri Lanka: Visa on arrival - fee unknown. Maximum stay of 30 days.

St. Kitts-Nevis: Maximum stay of 3 months.

St. Lucia: Maximum stay of 6 months.

St. Vincent and The Grenadines: Maximum stay of 1 month.
Swaziland: Maximum stay of 2 months.
Sweden: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Switzerland: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Taiwan: Visa not required if arriving at Taipei Chiang Kai Shek or Kaohsiung Airport. Maximum stay of 30 days.
Tanzania: Visa on arrival for 50 USD. Check visa with immigration officer for maximum stay.

Thailand: Stamp on arrival for stay of 30 days by air; 14 by land. Single 14 day extension.
Timor Leste (East Timor): Visa on arrival for 30 USD. Maximum stay of 30 days.
Togo: Visa on arrival - fee not specified. Maximum stay of 7 days.
Tonga: Visa on arrival for no charge. Maximum stay of 31 days.

Transnistria: Enter via Moldova.

Trinidad & Tobago: Maximum stay of 3 months.
Tunisia: Maximum stay of 4 months.
Turkey: Visa on arrival for fee of 20 USD. Maximum stay of 3 months.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Maximum stay of 3 months.

Turks & Caicos Islands: Maximum stay of 30 days.

Tuvalu: Visa on arrival - no fee specified. Maximum stay of 1 month.
Uganda: Visa on arrival - fee varies depending on length of stay.
Ukraine: Maximum stay of 90 days.
United Arab Emirates: Visa on arrival - no fee specified. Maximum stay of 1 month.
United Kingdom: Maximum stay of 6 months.
Uruguay: Maximum stay of 3 months.

*Uzbekistan: All US visitors REQUIRE a visa for Uzbekistan.
Vanuatu: Maximum stay of 30 days.

Vatican City: Enter via Italy
Venezuela: Visa not required but tourist card must be obtained on aircraft. Maximum stay of 90 days.
Vietnam: Visa issued on arrival only with 'pre-approval' from an Embassy application.

Virgin Islands (USA): US Territory.

Virgin Islands (UK): Maximum stay of 30 days.
Yemen: Visa on arrival for 10,500 YER (Local Currency). Maximum stay of 1 month.
Zambia: Visa on arrival - fee varies depending on length of stay.
Zimbabwe: Visa on arrival - fee varies. Maximum stay of 3 months.

For countries not listed here, US citizens need a visa.  Also, for any travel purpose other than tourism, including business trips, you generally need a visa.  Check each country's requirements before you go! 

May your road rise to meet you!

Ann

When Do You Need a Tourist Visa to US?

Currently, citizens of 36 countries have visa-free entry to the US. If you're a citizen of one of these countries, no need to apply for a tourist visa in advance to enter. The Visa Waiver Program allows entry to the US for the purpose of tourism or business for up to 90 days, similar to the B1 (business) or B2 (tourist/visitor) visas.

Here's the list:

Andorra	Hungary	New Zealand
Australia	Iceland	Norway
Austria	Ireland	Portugal
Belgium	Italy	San Marino
Brunei	Japan	Singapore
Czech Republic	Latvia	Slovakia
Denmark	Liechtenstein	Slovenia
Estonia	Lithuania	South Korea
Finland	Luxembourg	Spain
France	Malta	Sweden
Germany	Monaco	Switzerland
Greece	the Netherlands	United Kingdom

First, you need to receive authorization to travel under the VWP through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This can be done online a few days in advance of your trip. Here's the website for ESTA: ahttp://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/.

You must prove you have sufficient funds for your intended stay. Working - or anything which indicates intent to remain longer in the US! - is strictly prohibited! And your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your date of departure. VWP participants will not be able to change status once in the US - they must return home within 90 days of arrival. Any violations, including any overstay, gets you barred from VWP for the rest of your life.

But anytime you can travel without having to obtain a visa in advance, you simplify your life - and your travels!

May your road rise to meet you!

Ann

Watch Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements!

The Great Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1820 in Savannah, GA, wiped out at least 10% of the population.  Notorious epidemics of this often-fatal disease also hit Savannah in 1873 and 1876.  But since the last Panama Canal Zone victim of yellow fever died in 1906, Americans, Canadians, Europeans, et al, rarely pay much attention to yellow fever.  So a friend just got held up entering a South American country for lack of a Yellow Fever Certificate!

This mosquito-borne disease is endemic throughout tropical & sub-tropical South America and Africa.  Illness ranges in severity from a self-limited febrile illness to severe liver disease with hemorrhaging. Yellow fever is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings, laboratory testing, and travel history, including the possibility of exposure to infected mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever; care is based on symptoms. Steps to prevent yellow fever virus infection include using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and getting vaccinated.

Vaccination requirements are changing as more people travel, and the disease spreads.  Before you travel through Africa and/or South America, check up on the latest vaccination listings from the Centers for Disease Control.  There have been several changes this year in vaccination recommendations and various countries’ vaccination requirements.  Even if the first country you go to does not require vaccination, your next stop might!

AFRICA:  Yellow fever is endemic in: Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Republic of the), Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda.  Going to any of these?  Might as well get YF vaccination, or you probably are not going anywhere else.  Many countries without mandatory YF vaccinations DO require them if you have been in one of these recently.

SOUTH AMERICA:  Yellow fever is endemic in: Argentina (one northern province, not Buenos Aires), Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama (Darien Province near Columbian border), Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.  For several of these countries, e.g. Panama, Argentina, it is only found in more remote rainforest areas.

· 

· 

After immunization, an International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Fever Certificate) is issued, valid 10 days after vaccination and good for 10 years. Carry your Certificate with you! Travelers who have a medical reason not to receive the yellow fever vaccine should obtain a medical waiver. Most – not all! – countries will accept a medical waiver for persons with a medical reason not to receive the vaccine.  Obviously, if you cannot be vaccinated, you want to avoid travel to a lot of these YF-endemic countries.  Roadwarrioresses are not stupid!

May your road rise to meet you!

Ann

IRS Adds Fuel to the Tax Fires

As if the FBAR form (TD F 90-22.1) weren't enough to drive US citizens, legal permanent residents, and other "US persons" crazy, there's also Form 8938 to add fuel to the IRS fires under your butt.  Since the rules keep changing, and Form 8938 is new anyway, American expats can go crazy trying to keep up with US tax laws and various IRS requirements. 

We talked in our last post about FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report, which includes reporting all kinds of banking and other financial accounts).  If you have had any kind of financial account(s) which hit a total of US$10,000 at any time during the year, you need to file the FBAR.  Here's that link: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f90221.pdf.  Get on it NOW because the IRS must receive it by June 30th.  Note that's the deadline for IRS to receive it, not for you to mail it out!

Now comes Son-of-FBAR, Form 8938.  Here you have to report all specified types of foreign assets, not just banking or other kinds of financial accounts (such as stock brokerage accounts).  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8938.pdf is the link to Form 8938.  For the instructions, go to: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8938.pdf.  Attach that form, if required, to your income tax return, and file it by the deadline for your income tax return.  If you are living abroad, your deadline for filing your income taxes is June 15th - this week!  If you filed for an extension, that deadline will be October 15th.

Gee whillikers - ain't the IRS sweet?  They even give you a comparison table of the requirements for the two different tax forms, financial assets vs. other foreign assets.  See the comparison table at: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0,,id=255986,00.html. 

It's not just people we think of as expats who are caught in the IRS tax traps.  Many foreigners come to the US & give birth to get their baby US citizenship, then take baby home.  Well, guess what!  They have to file annual income tax returns, FBAR, Form 8938, etc, as required even if they were born in the US, then promptly departed and have never returned.  Even if they have dual citizenship.  Whatever.  Uncle Sam's minions at the IRS want your money!

Penalties are severe - and I do mean really severe - so check these out.  Don't risk making any mistakes on these two forms, in addition to routine income tax returns.  Not all American expats are subject to them, but be careful.  Very, very, very careful!