Each country sets its own visa requirements for visitors, which often vary depending on the country issuing the visitors passport. As a United States passport holder, you can visit several dozen countries without any visa. A second group of countries require no visa unless you intend to stay for a longer time, while countries in a third group don’t ask you to arrange a visa in advance, but will provide you with one on arrival. Visa requirements often change, so check the State Department’s International Travel Information website well in advance.

No Requirements

The countries of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative form the largest area for which U.S. passport holders don’t need a visa. At the border with these countries, you’ll just have to show your valid U.S. passport. The area includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, an area that takes in 18 countries, including popular destinations such as the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Jamaica. Worldwide, countries with no visa requirements for U.S. passport holders include Albania, Colombia, Georgia, Guatemala and Malawi.

No Requirements for Stays of Fewer Than 90 Days

Most vacationers stay in their destination for only a few weeks, meaning that countries requiring visas only for longer stays are effectively visa-free for the majority of U.S. travelers. The largest area with no visa requirements for stays shorter than 90 days is the Schengen Agreement area, made up of the vast majority of European countries. Two important exceptions are the United Kingdom and Ireland. Outside Europe, many other countries, including New Zealand, Morocco, Malaysia and Botswana, don’t require visitors to have a visa for stays of fewer than 90 days.

Visas on Arrival

Some other countries do not require you to arrange a visa in advance. Instead, your passport will be stamped with a visa or temporary permit when you arrive. At the time of publication, these countries include Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa and Qatar. If you’re traveling to one of these countries, check that your passport has several blank pages left to accommodate the new visa. For example, the State Department recommends having at least two blank pages for travel to South Africa, one for the temporary residence permit and one for the associated entry and exit stamps.

Checking in Advance

It’s vital that you check visa requirements well in advance, because if the country you plan to visit does require a visa, the visa-issuing process can take more than a month or require traveling to the country’s U.S. embassy in person. In a few cases, a country with no visa requirements can require an additional document. For example, to visit Australia you must arrange an Electronic Travel Authority, or ETA, in advance, although you can do this online.

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