โ† DoINeedVisa

Do I need a visa to study in United States?

Whichever passport you hold, you need a permit or visa to study in United States: all 198 passports covered here need one.

The standard route for studying in United States

Permit required

F-1 student visa (M-1 for vocational programs)

You need a student visa. Your school enters you in SEVIS and issues a Form I-20, you pay the SEVIS fee, then you apply for the visa at a US embassy or consulate. Studying on a visitor visa or under the Visa Waiver Program is not permitted.

Official United States information

Permit required198

  • AfghanistanPermit required
  • AlbaniaPermit required
  • AlgeriaPermit required
  • AndorraPermit required
  • AngolaPermit required
  • Antigua and BarbudaPermit required
  • ArgentinaPermit required
  • ArmeniaPermit required
  • AustraliaPermit required
  • AustriaPermit required
  • AzerbaijanPermit required
  • BahamasPermit required
  • BahrainPermit required
  • BangladeshPermit required
  • BarbadosPermit required
  • BelarusPermit required
  • BelgiumPermit required
  • BelizePermit required
  • BeninPermit required
  • BhutanPermit required
  • BoliviaPermit required
  • Bosnia and HerzegovinaPermit required
  • BotswanaPermit required
  • BrazilPermit required
  • BruneiPermit required
  • BulgariaPermit required
  • Burkina FasoPermit required
  • BurundiPermit required
  • CambodiaPermit required
  • CameroonPermit required
  • CanadaPermit required
  • Cape VerdePermit required
  • Central African RepublicPermit required
  • ChadPermit required
  • ChilePermit required
  • ChinaPermit required
  • ColombiaPermit required
  • ComorosPermit required
  • CongoPermit required
  • Costa RicaPermit required
  • CroatiaPermit required
  • CubaPermit required
  • CyprusPermit required
  • Czech RepublicPermit required
  • DR CongoPermit required
  • DenmarkPermit required
  • DjiboutiPermit required
  • DominicaPermit required
  • Dominican RepublicPermit required
  • EcuadorPermit required
  • EgyptPermit required
  • El SalvadorPermit required
  • Equatorial GuineaPermit required
  • EritreaPermit required
  • EstoniaPermit required
  • EthiopiaPermit required
  • FijiPermit required
  • FinlandPermit required
  • FrancePermit required
  • GabonPermit required
  • GambiaPermit required
  • GeorgiaPermit required
  • GermanyPermit required
  • GhanaPermit required
  • GreecePermit required
  • GrenadaPermit required
  • GuatemalaPermit required
  • GuineaPermit required
  • Guinea-BissauPermit required
  • GuyanaPermit required
  • HaitiPermit required
  • HondurasPermit required
  • Hong KongPermit required
  • HungaryPermit required
  • IcelandPermit required
  • IndiaPermit required
  • IndonesiaPermit required
  • IranPermit required
  • IraqPermit required
  • IrelandPermit required
  • IsraelPermit required
  • ItalyPermit required
  • Ivory CoastPermit required
  • JamaicaPermit required
  • JapanPermit required
  • JordanPermit required
  • KazakhstanPermit required
  • KenyaPermit required
  • KiribatiPermit required
  • KosovoPermit required
  • KuwaitPermit required
  • KyrgyzstanPermit required
  • LaosPermit required
  • LatviaPermit required
  • LebanonPermit required
  • LesothoPermit required
  • LiberiaPermit required
  • LibyaPermit required
  • LiechtensteinPermit required
  • LithuaniaPermit required
  • LuxembourgPermit required
  • MacaoPermit required
  • MadagascarPermit required
  • MalawiPermit required
  • MalaysiaPermit required
  • MaldivesPermit required
  • MaliPermit required
  • MaltaPermit required
  • Marshall IslandsPermit required
  • MauritaniaPermit required
  • MauritiusPermit required
  • MexicoPermit required
  • MicronesiaPermit required
  • MoldovaPermit required
  • MonacoPermit required
  • MongoliaPermit required
  • MontenegroPermit required
  • MoroccoPermit required
  • MozambiquePermit required
  • MyanmarPermit required
  • NamibiaPermit required
  • NauruPermit required
  • NepalPermit required
  • NetherlandsPermit required
  • New ZealandPermit required
  • NicaraguaPermit required
  • NigerPermit required
  • NigeriaPermit required
  • North KoreaPermit required
  • North MacedoniaPermit required
  • NorwayPermit required
  • OmanPermit required
  • PakistanPermit required
  • PalauPermit required
  • PalestinePermit required
  • PanamaPermit required
  • Papua New GuineaPermit required
  • ParaguayPermit required
  • PeruPermit required
  • PhilippinesPermit required
  • PolandPermit required
  • PortugalPermit required
  • QatarPermit required
  • RomaniaPermit required
  • RussiaPermit required
  • RwandaPermit required
  • Saint Kitts and NevisPermit required
  • Saint LuciaPermit required
  • Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesPermit required
  • SamoaPermit required
  • San MarinoPermit required
  • Sao Tome and PrincipePermit required
  • Saudi ArabiaPermit required
  • SenegalPermit required
  • SerbiaPermit required
  • SeychellesPermit required
  • Sierra LeonePermit required
  • SingaporePermit required
  • SlovakiaPermit required
  • SloveniaPermit required
  • Solomon IslandsPermit required
  • SomaliaPermit required
  • South AfricaPermit required
  • South KoreaPermit required
  • South SudanPermit required
  • SpainPermit required
  • Sri LankaPermit required
  • SudanPermit required
  • SurinamePermit required
  • SwazilandPermit required
  • SwedenPermit required
  • SwitzerlandPermit required
  • SyriaPermit required
  • TaiwanPermit required
  • TajikistanPermit required
  • TanzaniaPermit required
  • ThailandPermit required
  • Timor-LestePermit required
  • TogoPermit required
  • TongaPermit required
  • Trinidad and TobagoPermit required
  • TunisiaPermit required
  • TurkeyPermit required
  • TurkmenistanPermit required
  • TuvaluPermit required
  • UgandaPermit required
  • UkrainePermit required
  • United Arab EmiratesPermit required
  • United KingdomPermit required
  • UruguayPermit required
  • UzbekistanPermit required
  • VanuatuPermit required
  • VaticanPermit required
  • VenezuelaPermit required
  • VietnamPermit required
  • YemenPermit required
  • ZambiaPermit required
  • ZimbabwePermit required

Tourist visa requirements for United States

Data last verified: 2026-07-28

Not legal or immigration advice.Requirements change without notice and vary by circumstance - always confirm with the destination countryโ€™s embassy, consulate, or official government source before booking or traveling. Full disclaimer.