Traveling with a ‘developing country’ (a.k.a, ‘third world’) passport can be tough. You’ll need visas, and lots of ‘em.
But did you know that you can ‘shortcut’ your way to visiting more countries by just having a valid visa for certain countries?
For instance, lots of countries will grant you visa-free entry when you have a valid Schengen visa. The downside is, a Schengen visa is only valid for up to 3 months.
A US Tourist visa, on the other hand, is usually valid up to 10 years. So it makes sense to get a US Visa, especially if you’re planning to travel to Central and South America.
Please note that this list is applicable to Philippine passport holders. The list of visa-free countries for US Visa holders vary depending on your nationality. Even if you’re not from the Philippines, you’ll still find this list helpful as I will note whether the visa exemption is applicable for all nationalities.
>> Don’t have a US Visa yet? Here’s how to apply for a US Visa
List of countries you can visit with a valid US B1/B2 Tourist Visa
I will sort the list by continent/region, to make it easier to browse through.
Also, be aware that some countries may require visa-on-arrival (VOA). This means that you can get a visa when you arrive at the port of entry. It is either free or you pay for it, depending on the country. This is different from visa-free or visa-exempt, wherein you don’t need a visa and they’ll just stamp your passport. But even then, qualifying for VOA is still a good deal considering the many requirements needed to apply for a pre-approved visa.
Some of these countries require that you have used your US Visa to enter the United States of America at least. If you haven’t travelled to the US before, please be aware of that.
With a VALID (non-expired) US Visa, you can visit:
North America
1. United States of America – Of course 🙂
2. Mexico
Mexico City at night
- applicable to all nationalities, who have a VALID visa or permanent residence in USA, Canada, Japan, UK and Schengen (EU).
- visiting Mexico for tourism, business or transit
- stay up to 180 days
- For more info: Consulado General De Mexico En San Francisco
Central America
3. Belize
- applies to any visitor with a valid MULTIPLE entry US Visa or permanent residence
- stay up to 30 days
- For more info, visit Belize Department of Immigration and Nationality Services
4. Guatemala
- visa on arrival
- stay up to 90 days with a valid US, Canada or Schengen Visa
- can’t find official announcement from Guatemala Foreign Affairs, but I checked IATA website and confirmed
5. Honduras
- visa on arrival, provided that the US / Canada / Schengen visa must be valid for at least 6 months on arrival
- return/onwards tickets needed
- stay up to 90 days
- For more info, visit IATA website
6. El Salvador
- Tourist Card upon arrival ($10 fee), with valid visa from US, Canada or Schengen
- stay up to 90 days
- For more info, visit IATA
7. Nicaragua
- Philippine passport holders can get 30-Day Visa-on-Arrival for a $50 fee, but those with valid visa for US, Canada or Schengen don’t need visa
- Instead, get a Tourist Card on arrival ($10 fee) which is required for all nationals with visa exemption
8. Panama
- applies to all nationalities
- visa waiver for stays up to 90 days, provided that; (1) you have used your visa to enter the US at least once, (2) you can show proof of funds ($500), and (3) have a return/onward ticket.
Costa Rica
- the ONLY country in Central America that’s VISA-FREE for Filipinos (hence, I’m not counting this one), for stay up to 30 days. If you want to stay longer, you can get a visa-on-arrival which allows you to stay up to 90 days.
- For other nationalities who have a valid US Visa, you can enter visa-free and stay up to 30 days.
Is the yellow fever vaccine a requirement to visit Costa Rica?
If you will be traveling to Costa Rica from South America and/or sub-Saharan Africa, you will need the YELLOW FEVER VACCINE. The countries considered at risk are: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso,Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria,Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana and Venezuela. You can travel to Costa Rica ten days after the shot. Any individual traveling to Costa Rica that has been in transit, whether in airports, sea ports, or land borders, in the following countries, will require a vaccination: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
Great news! ALL countries in Central America are visa-free or have visa-on-arrival for US Visa holders. Perfect for an overland trip from US or Mexico going down to South America 🙂
Caribbean
9. Antigua and Barbuda
- single-entry VOA, stay up to 30 days
- For more info: Visa on Arrival | Immigration Antigua and Barbuda
10. Bermuda
- no visa required, but visitors must have multiple-entry visas for US, Canada and UK, and must be valid for 45 days after expiration of visitor stay
- must have onward or return flight ticket
- For more info: Bermuda entry visas | Government of Bermuda
11. Dominican Republic
- upon arrival, you’ll get a 30-day TOURIST CARD ($10 fee), if you hold a valid US, Canada or Schengen visa
- For more info: The Official Website of Punta Cana International AirportYour Dominican Republic vacation starts at Punta Cana Intl Airport
12. Cuba
A street in Old Havana, Cuba
- must hold TOURIST CARD, which you can get from airlines flying to Cuba, travel agencies, and Cuban embassies.
- entry up to 30 days
- Check here: IATA – Cuba Personalised Passport, Visa & Health travel documentation advice
UPDATE May 18, 2018: It seems like there’s some changes with regards to this policy. Even if you have a valid US Visa, and you’re planning to travel to Cuba soon, it’s best to contact the Cuban Embassy near you. I will also try to find more info.
13. Turks and Caicos
- part of British Overseas Territories
- stay up to 90 days, all visitors must hold a round trip ticket (More info on entry requirements, visit Turks and Caicos Tourism website.)
- For more info, visit Turks and Caicos Ministry of Border Control and Employment
14. British Virgin Islands
- part of British Overseas Territories
- visa-free for all nationals with US, UK and Canada visa
- stay less than 6 months
- For more info, visit the British Virgin Islands Visa Exemption Programme
South America
Sadly, there are no visa exemptions for US Visa Holders in South American countries. Both Argentina and Chile provide visa exemptions, but ONLY for Chinese nationals with US Visa.
The good news is there are 6 visa-free countries in South America for Filipinos:
- Colombia – visa free up to 90 days
- Ecuador – visa free up to 90 days
- Peru – visa free up to 183 days
- Bolivia – visa free up to 90 days
- Suriname – visa free up to 90 days
- Brazil – visa free up to 90 days
You can apply for visas to Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela whilst in any of the visa-free countries above. Apply as soon as you can to give enough time for visa processing. It can sometimes take 3-4 weeks, depending on where you apply.
Europe
15. Turkey
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT but you can apply for a single-entry e-visa online if you have US, UK, Ireland or Schengen (EU) visa or residence permit
- For more info (and for other nationalities), visit http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa
16. Albania
- applicable to ALL nationalities, provided that you have used the visa to enter the USA at least once.
- stay up to 90 days within a 6-month period
- More info here: Visa regime for foreign citizens
17. Serbia
- applicable to ALL nationalities
- stay up to 90 days during a 6-month period
- For more info, visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
18. Georgia
- stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- For more info, please check at the Georgia e-Visa Portal: e-VISA PORTAL
19. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- all nationalities
- stay up to 30 days each visit, up to 90 days within any 180-day period\
- For more info, visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bosnia and Herzegovina
20. Macedonia
- all nationalities, provided that the US visa is valid for at least 5 days beyond intended period of stay
- entry up to 15 days
- total duration of consecutive stays must not exceed 3 months within any 6-month period, calculated from the day of first entry
- For more info, visit: Republic of Macedonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs
21. Montenegro
- all nationalities
- stay up to 30 days
- For more info, visit Montenegro Visa Regimes by Country – Visit Montenegro — source, as Ministry of Foreign Affairs site is unreachable
23. United Kingdom
- in transit to/from the United States, stay up to 24 hours only
ASIA
24. South Korea
- in transit only to/from the United States, for stays up to 30 days
>> Read: How To Get A Multiple-entry Visa to South Korea
25. Taiwan
- Philippine passport holders are currently on 14-day temporary visa-free, until July 31, 2018 pending review.
- Those with valid visas for US, Canada, UK, Schengen (EU), Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea can apply for Travel Authorization Certificate, which allows multiple entry to Taiwan valid for 3 months, with each stay up to 30 days.
- For more info, visit Taiwan (ROC) Bureau of Consular Affairs
26. Qatar
- all nationals who hold a valid visa or residence permit to GCC countries, Schengen (EU), Australia, New Zealand, UK, US or Canada can apply for Electronic Travel Authorization for free.
- stay up to 30 days; can be extended for additional 30 days
- For more info, visit Qatar Tourism Authority
7 comments
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hello po na denied po ako sa shengen visa. sobramg laki po ng nasayang kasi po yun sa cruise bayad na at airfare ko.
hi, hindi pa po ako naka apply ng Schengen visa eh, so wala po ako personal experience. Which country did you apply for Schengen? Ano po sabi ba’t na deny kayo? Usually, it’s lack of documents po.. di po ba kayo tinulungan ng agency/cruise ship para makakuha ng visa? Kung nagbayad naman na kayo sa kanila, pwede ata sila nyan maka sponsor sa inyo, para mas madali pag apply nyo ng visa
Getting a schengen visa is very easy but the requirements are really very tough! Requirements varies dependeng on your point of entry. Better check “vfs global” website for the list of requirements, they are the one authorized to process your visas, no need to have an appearance to embassies. So better be precise and complete all their requirements it does have a very big impact with their YES or NO.
hello po paano po ba makapasa sa shengen Bisa. Na denied po kasi ako sayang cruise tour at airfare ko po.
Helpful post