These 7 Countries Are Now Easier for US Travelers to Visit in 2024 and Beyond

What is a travel visa?

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A travel visa is an official document issued by a country’s government, granting a foreign national permission to enter, stay, or transit through its territory for a specified period. The visa, typically attached to a passport, lists the purpose of your travel (like tourism, business, or study) as well as dates by which you need to enter and leave the country. Application processes for a visa usually include the need to provide information on your travel dates and hotels/destinations, a photo, personal information related to your home and past travel, and potentially, additional information for background checks.

There are many reasons why countries may require visas for some or all travelers. Some countries require all foreign travelers to have a visa, especially in places with nascent tourist industries, where visa data and fees can be used to analyze and fund tourism efforts. Some countries may require visas as a way to reduce illegal immigration, and others countries may require visas only from people who are citizens of countries with whom it has complicated or strained diplomatic relations. Related to this is visas a punishment, perhaps in response to countries imposing sanctions or imposing their own travel visas.

In a friendlier sense, visas can also be a tool for controlling tourism, especially in countries concerned about overtourism. That’s the case for countries like Bhutan, which requires visas for all travelers to restrict the number of tourists and preserve its unique environment and culture.

How to get a travel visa

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The process for securing a travel visa varies from country to country, and can range from a quick stamp at the airport to a multi-step, multi-week ordeal. After you’ve determined that you need a visa (there are sometimes visa exceptions for short stays or business travel), you’ll need to fill out an application form. Most countries allow you to fill out and submit this form online via an embassy website, but not all. You’ll likely need to provide contact info, details of your travel plans, a passport-style photo, and a scan of your passport, at a minimum. From there, it depends on the country, as some issue e-visas within 24 hours, while others may take weeks to process and mail you a formal paper visa.

The other option you may encounter is visa on arrival, meaning you can fill out a form when you arrive (either in paper or online) and get your visa while passing through passport control. That’s an option for Americans traveling to a handful of countries include Madagascar, Mauritania, and Bangladesh, among other places.

Countries that relaxed visa requirements for US citizens in 2024

As a general rule, a good way to get more tourists is to relax visa requirements, either by making visas easier to get or eliminating them entirely. Fortunately, many countries around the world have already done just that in 2024, likely to bring a share of the post-COVID tourism boom to their own economies. If you want to travel to any of the countries below, it’s now easier than ever to get a visa, making them just as easy to visit as countries where US citizens can travel without any visa at all.

Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka recently announced a significant change to its travel visa policies, particularly benefiting US citizens and other international travelers from Western countries. Beginning on October 1, 2024, visitors will be able to get a visa on arrival, instead of having to apply for an electronic travel visa in advance of their trips. The visa is also now free, with the country waiving the $50 fee.

The move is part of Sri Lanka’s strategy to increase international arrivals and strengthen its tourism industry, which has been recovering since the pandemic. Tourism boomed around 2018 and 2019, but an economic crisis that started in 2019 set the country’s economy back. The current visa-on-arrival program is set to run until April 2025, after which the government will likely evaluate its impact on the tourism industry before deciding on future visa policies.

North Korea

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While the country has yet to make an official statement, outlets like the BBC and The Guardian reported that tour operators based in North Korea have announced they’ll be running tours for Western tourists, starting in December of 2024. Presumably, that’s a sign that the country will be reducing its regulations around tourism. Since 2020, the country has been fully closed to tourists, but even before that, it was extremely difficult to get a visa to visit. Based on reports from tour companies, it’s likely that guests will be limited to the town of Samjiyon, in the mountains near the border with China. It’s all but certain that visitors will also be limited to traveling only under the close guidance of a tour company, as the country is known for closely controlling its public-facing image and access.

While North Korea will likely never be one of the top countries open to American travelers without restriction, the announcement is the first step in many years to welcome tourism of any kind to the country.

China

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China has recently streamlined its visa application process for US citizens, reflecting a broader effort to make the country more appealing to US travelers, especially since nearby countries like Japan and South Korea don’t require visas of any kind. As of January 1, 2024, US passport holders seeking a tourist visa to China are no longer required to submit previously mandatory documents, including proof of a round-trip air ticket, hotel reservations, and in some cases, an invitation letter.

The announcement applies not just to US passport holders, but to citizens of 54 additional countries. It also eliminated visa requirements entirely for visitors from six other nations, including France and Germany. It comes on the heels of multi-million dollar investments in cultural and tourism draws, including the expansion of some of the largest museums in the world.

Syria

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Syria isn’t a country that tops most people’s tourism wish lists, but it’s just beginning to build a tourism industry, and hoping to targeting relatively wealthy US travelers. The country introduced significant changes to its travel visa rules for US citizens, switching to an electronic visa system launched in May 2024. This allows US citizens to apply for a visa online, streamlining the process. Prior to May 2024, the process was far more cumbersome and rigid, with in-person applications through Syrian embassies or consulates. Prospective travelers also needed to submit a range of documents, including lengthy details of their travel plans. They’d also have to get a security clearance from a licensed Syrian travel agency — something that could take months due to the tense diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States.

Now, the application form is online (click “FAQ” on this page). One rule that remains in place is that US travelers must travel with a licensed tour company. While that may limit where in the country you can go, it also means you have the assistance and services of your tour company to handle the on-the-ground parts of the application, such as the security clearance process.

Of course, as of August 2024, the US State Department recommends against travel of any type to Syria, warning “Do not travel to Syria due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping or hostage taking, and armed conflict. Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detention.”

Thailand

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Thailand has always been known for being a country fairly open to American travelers, but it made a change in 2024 that allowed Americans to stay even longer. In 2023, the country announced that it would extend the time you could stay on a visa from 30 to 60 days. Fortunately, Americans are exempt from needing visas, though they’re still limited to staying for 60 days (and asking for an extension to stay another 30 more). The change went into effect on July 15, 2024. Thailand also announced that many travelers who do need visas can get them on arrival, including passport holders of Mexico, India, Ethiopia, and about a dozen more.

If you want to stay more than 90 days, you’ll need to apply for a different visa, such as the country’s popular digital nomad visa, which is valid for five years.

Pakistan

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In August 2024, Pakistan made significant changes to its travel visa policies for US citizens (and nationals of more than 120 other countries). It joins the ranks of countries open to American travelers by offering free electronic visa via an online process, issued within 24 hours of submitting the application. You can entry the country multiple times over the course of 90 days. The visa application form is also shorter, with just 30 questions asked of visitors, as well as some basics like a photo and copy of your passport.

Also announced in the August Pakistan tourism announcement was the news that visitors from some countries can now get a visa on arrival, rather than needing to do the form in advance. So if you’re a passport holder from one of the Gulf countries, you can just pick up your visa when you land at the airport.

Brazil

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Brazil is a massively popular country with lots of outdoorsy and urban destinations appealing to US travelers, which is probably why the country decided to lean into that popularity and permanently waive the visa requirement for US passport holders in 2019. But just a few years later, it announced that it would reinstate the former policy, requiring travel visas for citizens from the US. But in 2024, the country announced it would delay that transition and continue to be one of many countries open to American travelers without a visa through at least the end of December 2024.

As of last check, the government was planning on again requiring visas for trip starting in April of 2025. But after delaying the implementation for more than year, it’s quite possible it could decide to push that date even further out.

When it comes to travel rules and regulations, remember that visa rules are always changing. Some countries may even change their policies season by season. And remember that this isn’t a complete list of all the countries that relaxed their tourist visa regulations or countries open to American travelers. So if there’s a country you’ve been wanting to visit, give it a Google, and you may find that it changed to be a little more welcoming to travelers, too.