American Travelers Are Banned From These 3 Countries For 2026

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You’ve likely seen the headlines over the last year or so — something along the lines of “America bans another country”.

Right or wrong, many of us tend to turn a blind eye to these headlines, no matter how eye-catching they are, since they don’t directly affect us.

But what’s been lost in the mix is that Americans are indeed banned from visiting a handful of countries scattered across the globe as well.

Yes — literally banned — meaning either the U.S government forbids citizens from entering or the country itself refuses to permit entry to American passport holders.

Here at Travel Off Path, we’ve reported on numerous no-go destinations, either from our own distaste as seasoned travelers or Level 4 State Department-issued advisories highly urging Americans to avoid certain places at all costs.

But this category hits different since you don’t have a choice in the matter.

For 2026, Americans are prohibited from visiting the following 3 countries in one form or another. Let’s dive in, shall we?

North Korea: Thanks, Captain Obvious 🇰🇵

Unless you’re Dennis Rodman, you may not have any desire to visit what’s known as the “Hermit Kingdom”, but hear us out…

Americans have officially been banned from entering North Korea, one of the most isolated and tightly controlled nations on Earth, since 2017, after the horror story of U.S. citizen Otto Warmbier being detained and tragically passing for reasons still yet to be officially determined.

In fairness, we’ll let you play judge and jury, but no matter which borders you find yourself in, travelers are expected to respect local laws anywhere in the world. U.S. officials have long warned that Americans face an unusually high risk of arbitrary detention in North Korea, often without access to due process or consular services.

As a result, the U.S. government forbids citizens from entering North Korea to this day. In their own words, this decision is driven by “the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention”.

Since the 2017 ban, North Korea has reopened for tours, even holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a surprisingly impressive new beach resort last year.

But Americans will not have a chance to visit even if they dared as the U.S. extended this ban until August 2026.

The closest you can currently get to breathing North Korea’s smog-filled air is the famous demilitarized zone (DMZ) in South Korea, but even then, we hear it’s pretty tense!

Cuba: Vacation Mode Deactivated 🇨🇺

Want to visit one of the most timeless destinations on the planet where Starbucks has yet to ruin colonial facades?

Then you’re sort of in luck….

Cuba does welcome U.S. citizens and does have resorts, but you shouldn’t call yourself a “tourist” at all at any time or you could potentially face harsh penalties.

Americans are technically prevented from vacationing in Cuba, meaning if you do want to visit this timeworn Caribbean paradise, you have to do some extra planning (and perhaps even convincing).

You see, the current Administration issued a 5-year ban on Americans vacationing here, while also understanding Cuba thrives on tourism, given their stringent government.

By the way, this is nothing new.

I had the pleasure of (minus extreme food poisoning) visiting Havana in 2017, when decades-long icy tensions began to thaw, and I still had to claim “Support for the Cuban people” as a reason to visit and book an Airbnb to align with my reasoning.

But look at babyfaced me — he sure looks like he’s on “vacation” (if you catch my drift). 😉

Kidding aside, in order to legally visit Cuba in accordance with current policy, you must claim one of 12 categories found here.

For the record, I was never questioned for claiming “Support for the Cuban People” at any time.

Niger: Visas No Longer Issued To Americans 🇳🇪

Look, we get it — it’s highly unlikely many Americans are scoping out Niger as a vacation destination any time soon.

This off-path African nation is one of the aforementioned Level 4 destinations we mentioned…

While every country has its own unique appeal, we won’t pretend Niger is the latest up-and-coming African country — that would be Algeria.

However, Niger (along with Chad) has implemented ‘tit-for-tat’ bans on U.S. tourists despite certainly needing an economic boost.

Niger is one of the countries America has restricted as of late for the foreseeable future, and Niger has pulled the ol’ “if you can do it, I can do it” maneuver.

According to our sources, an undisclosed diplomat was quoted as saying, Niger is completely and permanently prohibiting the issuance of visas to all U.S. citizens and indefinitely banning entry to its territory for nationals of the United States”.

So, why is Chad not listed too?

That’s a tricky one. While Chad was one of the first to implement a ban on U.S. tourism for the very same reason, it is still allowing those who were issued a visa before June 9, 2025.

*Right before publishing, we discovered Mali and Burkina Faso are following suit with their own reciprocal policies, refusing to honor entry to U.S. citizens. Full details are not yet available.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 36 countries and written over 1000 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.