Visa Reciprocity by Country 2024

Visa reciprocity, also known as visa insurance, is a fee that some individuals from certain countries or areas of authority have to pay once their visa application is approved.

Not all non-immigrant applicants are required to pay this fee, and it sometimes changes, so always check for the reciprocity schedule when traveling to and from the U.S. to see if you meet the requirements.

What is the Reciprocity Schedule?

The U.S. Department of State uses the reciprocity schedule to provide specific guidance for obtaining supporting documents for a green card or U.S. visa applications.

It indicates the document’s availability, where and how much it costs to get an official copy, and other details based on the country where the document was issued.

If another country rather than the U.S. issued your supporting document, you'd need to check the reciprocity schedule to ensure you’re submitting the correct version. If your documents don’t meet the reciprocity schedule guidelines, the U.S. government could reject them or request additional information, significantly delaying your application.

Reciprocity Schedule Terminology

Visa Classification: The non-immigrant visa category you’re applying for.

Fee: The reciprocity fee you’ve to pay apart from the non-immigrant visa application fee (MRV)

Number of Entries: The number of times you can seek entry into the U.S with the visa. “M” means you can have entry into the U.S multiple times; a number, like "One," indicates you can only apply once.

Validity Period: How long the visa can be used to travel to the U.S. -- date it was issued and the date it expires.

Reciprocity by Country: Using the Reciprocity Schedule

Here is some guidance on how to use the reciprocity schedule.

Open the Reciprocity Schedule

Visit the U.S. Department of State’s U.S. Visa - Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country webpage (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country.html/) for information about the U.S. embassies and consulates in the country issuing your document and the visa services.

Filter by Country

On the left-hand red panel boxed, select the first letter of the country that issued your document. Or click "All" to see the list of available countries alphabetically.

Find Your Country.

Scroll until you find the country’s name that issued your document, then click on it. As you scroll down the page after selecting your country, skip the two sections named “Explanation of Terms” and “Visa Classifications.” which are relevant only to people applying for non-immigrant visas, not green cards.

The Visa Classifications section tells you if you need to pay a reciprocity fee. It depends on whether your country has an agreement with the U.S., where U.S. citizens get a visa application fee waiver for your country.

Search for Your Document

Scroll down until you see the name of your document. Click the plus (+) icon at the end of the gray bar.

View the Document Details

The expanded box shows whether the document is "Available." If your document is marked “N/A,” “Unavailable,” or “Generally not available,” it means that the State Department doesn’t have guidance on how to get the record, or the country doesn’t issue such documents based on its laws or other reasons.

Note that you must still provide whatever form of this document you have, either an alternative or a written statement explaining why you cannot provide the document if it’s a requirement by the U.S. government for your green card application.

Notes:

• China (Taiwan) - Pursuant to Section 6 of the Taiwan Relations Act, (TRA) Public Law 96-8, 93 Stat, 14, and Executive Order 12143, 44 F.R. 37191, this agreement which was concluded with the Taiwan authorities prior to January 01, 1979, is administered on a nongovernmental basis by the American Institute in Taiwan, a nonprofit District of Columbia corporation, and constitutes neither recognition of the Taiwan authorities nor the continuation of any official relationship with Taiwan.

• Czech Repubilc and Slovak Republic - The Treaty with the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic entered into force on December 19, 1992; entered into force for the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic as separate states on January 01, 1993.

• Denmark - The Treaty which entered into force on July 30, 1961, does not apply to Greenland.

• France - The Treaty which entered into force on December 21, 1960, applies to the departments of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Reunion.

• Japan - The Treaty which entered into force on October 30, 1953, was made applicable to the Bonin Islands on June 26, 1968, and to the Ryukyu Islands on May 15, 1972.

• Netherlands - The Treaty which entered into force on December 05, 1957, is applicable to Aruba and Netherlands Antilles.

• Norway - The Treaty which entered into force on September 13, 1932, does not apply to Svalbard (Spitzbergen and certain lesser islands).

• Spain - The Treaty which entered into force on April 14, 1903, is applicable to all territories.

• Suriname - The Treaty with the Netherlands which entered into force December 05, 1957, was made applicable to Suriname on February 10, 1963.

• United Kingdom - The Convention which entered into force on July 03, 1815, applies only to British territory in Europe (the British Isles (except the Republic of Ireland), the Channel Islands and Gibraltar) and to "inhabitants" of such territory. This term, as used in the Convention, means "one who resides actually and permanently in a given place, and has his domicile there." Also, in order to qualify for treaty trader or treaty investor status under this treaty, the alien must be a national of the United Kingdom. Individuals having the nationality of members of the Commonwealth other than the United Kingdom do not qualify for treaty trader or treaty investor status under this treaty.

• Yugoslavia - The U.S. view is that the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) has dissolved and that the successors that formerly made up the SFRY - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia continue to be bound by the treaty in force with the SFRY and the time of dissolution.

• The E-3 visa is for nationals of the Commonwealth of Australia who wish to enter the United States to perform services in a "specialty occupation." The term "specialty occupation" means an occupation that requires theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge, and attainment of a bachelor's or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States. The definition is the same as the Immigration and Nationality Act definition of an H-1B specialty occupation.

• Bolivia - Bolivian nationals with qualifying investments in place in the United States by June 10, 2012 continue to be entitled to E-2 classification until June 10, 2022. The only nationals of Bolivia (other than those qualifying for derivative status based on a familial relationship to an E-2 principal alien) who may qualify for E-2 visas at this time are those applicants who are coming to the United States to engage in E-2 activity in furtherance of covered investments established or acquired prior to June 10, 2012.

• Ecuadorian nationals with qualifying investments in place in the United States by May 18, 2018 continue to be entitled to E-2 classification until May 18, 2028. The only nationals of Ecuador (other than those qualifying for derivative status based on a familial relationship to an E-2 principal alien) who may qualify for E-2 visas at this time are those applicants who are coming to the United States to engage in E-2 activity in furtherance of covered investments established or acquired prior to May 18, 2018.

• Israel: Pursuant to a treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation between the United States and Israel that entered into force on April 3, 1954 entitled nationals of Israel to E-1 status for treaty trader purposes. Nationals of Israel are not entitled to E-2 classification for treaty investor purposes under that treaty. Public Law 112-130 (June 8, 2012), accords nationals of Israel E-2 status for treaty investor purposes if the Government of Israel provides similar nonimmigrant status to nationals of the United States. The Department has confirmed that Israel offers reciprocal treaty investor treatment to U.S. nationals and E-2 visa may be issued to nationals of Israel beginning on May 1, 2019.

• New Zealand: Public Law 115-226, enacted on August 1, 2018, accorded nationals of New Zealand to E-1 and E-2 status for treaty trader/treaty investor purposes if the Government of New Zealand provides similar nonimmigrant status to nationals of the United States. The Department has confirmed that New Zealand offers similar nonimmigrant status to U.S. nationals and E visas may be issued to nationals of New Zealand beginning on June 10, 2019.