US Travel Ban 2026: Complete List of Restricted Countries

As of January 1, 2026, 17 countries face full visa suspension (no visas issued): Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Eritrea, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Laos. An additional 14 countries face partial suspension affecting tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.

For countries under full suspension, no visa categories are being processed. For countries under partial suspension, certain visa types like diplomatic visas and some immigrant visas may still be processed. Each country has different restrictions on which visa categories are suspended.

No. The travel ban (visa suspension) prevents nationals of specific countries from obtaining US visas. Travel advisories (Levels 1-4) are warnings issued by the State Department to US citizens about safety risks when traveling abroad. A country can have a high travel advisory without being on the ban list, and vice versa.

As of 2026, Level 4 Do Not Travel advisories are in effect for Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Venezuela, and Iraq. US citizens in these countries should depart immediately if it is safe to do so.

The State Department has issued a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory for Iran, with active military conflict between the US and Iran since February 2026. Shelter-in-place orders are in effect for US citizens. Travel to Iran is strongly advised against and consular services are extremely limited.

Nationals of countries under full visa suspension cannot obtain US visas to attend World Cup matches held in the United States. Some countries with partial bans have tourist visa (B-1/B-2) suspensions that also prevent attendance. Matches in Canada and Mexico are not affected by the US ban, so fans from restricted countries may attend those venues instead.

Full suspension means no visa categories are being issued for that country. Partial suspension means specific visa types are suspended (typically tourist B-1/B-2, student F-1, vocational M-1, and exchange visitor J-1 visas) while other categories like diplomatic or certain immigrant visas may still be processed.

If you hold a valid visa or are applying through an exempt category, you will still need a compliant passport photo. Additionally, nationals of banned countries who hold dual citizenship from a non-banned country can apply through that nationality. In all cases, a compliant passport-size photo is required for any immigration application.