Do I need visas for a round-the-world trip?

Visa requirements depend entirely on your passport and where you're going. If you hold a US passport, you can enter most of Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia without a visa for stays under 90 days. That covers a lot of popular RTW stops like Thailand, Peru, Spain, and Argentina.

But plenty of countries still require advance visas. India, China, Australia, Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt all need paperwork before you arrive. Some of these are straightforward e-visas you can process online in a few days. Others, like China, require a consulate visit and supporting documents. Processing times range from 48 hours to several weeks depending on the country.

Your AirTreks consultant flags visa requirements as part of the routing process. We've been doing this since 1996, so we know which stops add complexity and how to sequence your route so you have time to get documents in order. For example, if you're visiting both India and Australia on the same trip, we'll make sure your itinerary gives you enough lead time to secure both visas before departure.

A few things catch people off guard. Brazil reinstated visa requirements for US citizens in 2025. Transit visas are sometimes required even if you're just connecting through a country, particularly in China and parts of Africa. And some countries require six months of passport validity beyond your planned departure date, so check your expiration before you start planning.

We recommend starting the visa process at least three months before your departure. Your consultant will give you a country-by-country breakdown, but the final responsibility for securing visas is yours. The good news: for most RTW routes, the majority of your stops won't need anything more than a valid passport and a return or onward flight.