Do I Need a Visa?

Do I Need a Visa? Entry Requirements for Every Passport in 2026

Short answer: it depends on your passport and where you're going. Most trips fall into one of five buckets: visa-free, an online travel authorization (ETA) you get before you fly, a visa on arrival, an e-visa you apply for online, or a visa from an embassy. Pick your passport and destination in the checker above and you'll see which one applies, how long you can stay, what it costs and the official site to apply on.

The checker covers 214 passports and travel documents and 247 destinations, including territories like Hong Kong, Greenland and the Caribbean islands. For more than 100 popular destinations, we also show the authorization to apply for, its fee, the official application link and every rule change since 2025, each checked against the government's own site on October 31, 2026.

Always confirm with the official government source before you travel. Entry rules change, sometimes with little notice, and they can depend on details the tool doesn't know about you. Use it to plan, then check the destination's official immigration site before you book and again before you fly.

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How to use the Visa Checker

1. Pick your passport. Search by country name, or tap one of the popular passports.
2. Pick your destination. You'll see the requirement, the maximum tourist stay, a short checklist and, for popular destinations, what to apply for and where.
3. Dual citizen? Add a second passport. The checker compares both and tells you which one to travel on.
4. Browse everything at once. Pick only a passport to see every destination grouped by requirement, with a filter and a search box.
5. Share the result. Your choices are saved in the page address, so you can send a traveling companion the exact answer.

Every passport also has its own page listing every destination's rule, such as visa-free countries for US passport holders, and every destination has a page showing its rule for every passport, such as United Kingdom visa requirements. The passport ranking compares all of them.

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What each entry requirement means

A few destinations show a special permit, simplified visa or entry not confirmed. These cover restricted territories and passports some countries don't recognize. If you see one, contact the destination's embassy before you plan anything.

Stay is shown in days for visa-free, ETA, visa on arrival and e-visa destinations. Freedom of movement has no fixed limit, and for visa-required destinations the stay is set by the visa you're issued.

One quirk to know: the dataset counts a few digital arrival cards, such as Thailand's TDAC, as ETAs. When that happens the checker tells you it's a free arrival form, not an approval.

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The biggest entry rule changes of 2025 and 2026

The full list, with a source for every change, is on the visa requirements page. Each destination's own page shows the changes that apply to it.

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Online travel authorizations at a glance

These are the pre-travel approvals visa-free visitors most often forget. Apply only on the official site: look-alike agencies charge several times the real fee.

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Worked example: one award trip, two passports

Say you and your partner are booking a oneworld award from New York to Tokyo with a few days in London on the way. One of you holds a US passport and the other an Indian passport, living in the US. Here's what the checker shows:

Same seats, very different preparation:

• The US passport holder needs one thing: a UK ETA, £20 on GOV.UK. Most are approved within minutes (apply at least three working days ahead), and it's valid for two years. Japan needs nothing in advance beyond the optional Visit Japan Web form.
• The Indian passport holder needs two visas arranged before travel: a UK Standard Visitor visa (£135) for the London stopover and a Japanese visa, which Indian citizens living in the US can apply for online through JAPAN eVISA.

If the UK visa is the sticking point, search Routes for nonstop flights from New York to Tokyo on Japan Airlines, ANA or American, which skip the UK entirely, and compare the miles in the Award Flight Pricer. Dropping the stopover can remove a visa application and sometimes lower the price.

Changing planes in London isn't automatically visa-free either. Some nationalities, including Indian citizens, need a UK Direct Airside Transit Visa unless they hold certain US or Canadian documents. Check GOV.UK for your exact situation.

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How entry rules affect award routing

A stopover means you're entering the country. The moment you leave the airport, the full entry rules apply. Check every stopover country, not just your final destination.

Connections have their own rules. Transit rules are separate from entry rules:

• United States: there's no airside transit. Every international traveler clears US immigration, so you need an ESTA or a visa even to change planes.
• Canada: travelers from eTA countries need an eTA to connect through a Canadian airport. US citizens are exempt.
• United Kingdom: passengers who stay airside at Heathrow or Manchester don't need an ETA. If you pass through UK border control, for example to change airports or collect bags, you do.
• China: citizens of 57 countries, including the US, UK and Canada, can transit visa-free for up to 240 hours (10 days) on the way to a third country, through 65 ports of entry.

Separate tickets mean full entry. If your trip is on two tickets, such as a positioning flight plus an award, you'll often collect your bags and check in again, which means clearing immigration. The same goes for changing airports in London, Paris or Tokyo.

Plan around the strictest passport. A routing that's easy for one traveler can need a visa for another. Check every passport on the booking before you transfer points.

Get documents sorted before you transfer. Points transfers are usually instant and can't be reversed. If a visa takes weeks, apply first or book an award you can change or cancel. The Award Booking Guide shows which programs let you hold an award while you wait.

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Europe in 2026: EES is live, ETIAS isn't yet

The Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running since April 10, 2026. It replaced passport stamps at the external borders of 29 European countries. On your first entry, your fingerprints and a photo are taken at the border. There's nothing to apply for, but the first registration can add time at passport control.

ETIAS is not running yet. It will be a €20 online authorization for visa-exempt visitors to 30 European countries, similar to the US ESTA. As of October 31, 2026, it has no confirmed start date, and the EU says it will announce one several months ahead. Until then you don't need to apply, and any site charging you for an ETIAS today isn't the real thing.

The 90/180 rule covers the whole Schengen area. Visa-free visitors can stay 90 days in any 180-day period across all Schengen countries combined, not 90 days in each one. Bulgaria and Romania count too since they joined fully in January 2025.

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How passports compare

The passport ranking scores each passport by the destinations its holders can enter without arranging a visa in advance: visa-free, freedom of movement, an ETA or a visa on arrival. Territories count separately, so totals run higher than country counts.

Singapore also tops the Henley Passport Index's October 2026 edition. The two rankings count slightly differently, so the exact numbers don't match.

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What the Visa Checker doesn't cover

• It's a planning tool, not legal advice. The base data was compiled in October 2025, and we update it as rules change, but it's not a live government feed. Confirm with the destination's official site.
• Tourist visits only. Work, study, business and long stays have different rules.
• Transit rules aren't in the main results. The checker shows entry requirements. Airside transit rules are covered above and on destination pages where they matter.
• Conditional exemptions aren't applied automatically. Some countries waive or ease visas if you hold a US, UK, Schengen or Canadian visa or residence permit (Mexico, Türkiye, Argentina and the UAE, among others). Destination notes mention these where we've checked them.
• Passport validity. Many countries want six months left on your passport. Destination notes show the rule where we've checked it.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for a layover?

It depends on where you connect. In the US, every traveler clears immigration, so you need an ESTA or visa even to change planes. Canada requires an eTA for most visa-exempt travelers in transit. In the UK, airside transit at Heathrow and Manchester doesn't need an ETA, but some nationalities need a transit visa. China lets citizens of 57 countries transit visa-free for up to 240 hours.

What is an ETA and how is it different from a visa?

An electronic travel authorization is an online pre-travel approval for visitors who don't need a visa. It's linked to your passport, usually approved within minutes to a few days, and costs far less than a visa. Examples include the US ESTA, the UK ETA, Canada's eTA, Australia's ETA, New Zealand's NZeTA, Korea's K-ETA and Israel's ETA-IL.

Do Americans need an ETA for the UK?

Yes. US citizens need a UK ETA to visit, and airlines have refused boarding without one since February 25, 2026. It costs £20, is valid for two years and allows visits of up to six months. Every traveler needs their own, including children. Apply only on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app.

Do I need ETIAS to visit Europe?

Not yet. As of October 31, 2026, ETIAS isn't running and has no confirmed start date. When it launches it will cost €20. Until then visa-free visitors don't apply for anything, but they're registered in the EES with fingerprints and a photo at their first border crossing.

How long can I stay in Thailand without a visa?

Since September 15, 2026, visitors from the 60 countries on Thailand's visa exemption list, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India and most of Europe, can stay up to 30 days, down from 60. Korean, Brazilian, Argentine, Chilean and Peruvian citizens keep 90 days under treaties. Everyone must file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within three days before arriving.

Can Americans visit China without a visa?

Not for a regular visit. US citizens still need a Chinese visa, but they can use China's 240-hour visa-free transit when flying on to a third country. Citizens of 50 countries, including the UK and Canada since February 17, 2026, can visit visa-free for up to 30 days under a policy that runs to December 31, 2026.

Do US citizens need a K-ETA for South Korea?

Not in 2026. US citizens are on South Korea's list of 22 countries and regions exempt from the K-ETA through December 31, 2026. Without an approved K-ETA, you fill in the free e-Arrival Card instead. Check the official K-ETA site for what applies from 2027.

What's the difference between visa-free and visa on arrival?

Visa-free means you just show your passport at immigration. Visa on arrival means you get a visa at the airport, which usually involves a form, a fee and a queue. If an e-visa is also offered, getting it before you fly is usually quicker.

Does a stopover on an award ticket count as entering the country?

Yes. If you leave the airport during a stopover, you need to meet that country's entry requirements like any other visitor. Check every stopover country as well as your final destination.

How up to date is this visa data?

The base dataset was compiled in October 2025. Changes since then, including Thailand's 30-day limit, China's new visa-free countries, the UK ETA fee and the ESTA fee, were checked against official government sources on October 31, 2026, and each destination note shows its sources and the date it was checked.

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The bottom line

Visa and ETA rules can decide whether an award itinerary works, especially with stopovers, unusual connections or travelers on different passports. Check every stop and every passport here first. Then use Routes to find a routing that avoids unnecessary paperwork, the Award Flight Pricer to price it, and the destination's official website to confirm before you fly.