Which countries can you visit with a valid US visa?
A few countries, including Mexico, Georgia, Serbia and Albania, let holders of a valid US visa in without their own visa. Every scheme has conditions and they change.
Updated
Who this article is for
This is for travellers who are not US citizens but hold a US visa in their own passport. The benefit comes from the visa, and it only helps where your passport would otherwise need a visa.
If you hold a US passport, this is not your article. Read do US citizens need a visa to travel abroad instead.
Destinations that recognise a valid US visa
| Destination | What a valid US visa gets you | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | No Mexican visa needed | The US visa must be valid and current. Proof of permanent residence in the US is accepted the same way. |
| Canada | You can apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa | Only for citizens of 17 listed visa-required countries, and only when flying to or transiting a Canadian airport. Arriving by car, bus, train or boat still needs a visa. |
| Georgia | Visa-free stay of 90 days in any 180-day period | The US visa or residence permit must be valid on the day you cross the border. |
| Serbia | Visa-free entry, transit and stay of up to 90 days in a six-month period | The US visa or residence permit must stay valid throughout your stay. |
| Albania | Visa-free entry | The US visa must be multiple-entry and must already have been used to enter the US. You must leave Albania within three days of that visa expiring. |
| Turkiye | Several nationalities become eligible for a single-entry e-visa valid one month | Specific passports only, such as India, Bangladesh and the Philippines, with a valid US, Schengen, UK or Ireland visa or residence permit. |
What a US visa does not do for you
- It does not override an admissibility decision. The officer at the border still decides whether you enter and for how long.
- It does not extend your stay. The limits above are the destination's limits, not your US visa's validity.
- Airlines apply these rules at check-in, so carry the passport containing the visa and be ready to show it.
Important: if your US visa expires mid-trip you can lose your right to be there. Most of these schemes need it valid on arrival, and Albania times your departure deadline from its expiry date.
Before you travel
Check the destination's own immigration ministry in the week you travel. Other countries run similar schemes and drop them again, third-party summaries go stale, and no rule here guarantees entry.
If you do end up needing a visa, most applications want proof of accommodation. A hotel booking with free cancellation on trip1, payable in Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC or any of 120+ cryptocurrencies through CoinGate, covers that without committing you before a decision.
Countries you can visit with a valid US visa - FAQ
Mexico, Georgia, Serbia and Albania let holders of a valid US visa in without their own visa, and Canada and Turkiye offer easier terms. Each scheme has its own conditions.
Yes. Mexico accepts a valid and current US visa in place of a Mexican visa, and it accepts proof of US permanent residence the same way.
Not on its own. Citizens of 17 listed visa-required countries who hold a valid US non-immigrant visa can apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa, but only when flying to or transiting a Canadian airport.
For some countries, yes. Albania requires a multiple-entry US visa that has already been used to enter the United States, while Mexico and Georgia only require it to be valid.