US travel ban on 39 countries comes into effect; check full list here

The expanded US travel ban announced late last year is now officially in force. As of January 1, 2026, citizens from 39 countries are facing either full or partial restrictions on entering the United States, under a new White House proclamation issued by the Trump administration.The move was first flagged on December 4, 2025, when US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration planned to widen the scope of the travel ban to cover nearly 40 countries, including immediate family members of US citizens.

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That plan was formalised on December 16 through a White House executive order, which placed 39 countries under new travel restrictions. According to the White House, the expanded ban is “necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose”.The restrictions officially came into effect on January 1, 2026.

What the new policy does

Under Proclamation 10998, the US has imposed:A full ban on entry for immigrants and all nonimmigrants from certain countriesA partial ban on other countries, limiting entry for immigrants and for nonimmigrants applying under specific visa categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas,

Countries under a full US travel ban

These countries are subject to a complete suspension of entry into the United States for both immigrants and non immigrants.

Proclamation 10949 – original countries

AfghanistanBurma (Myanmar)ChadRepublic of the CongoEquatorial GuineaEritreaHaitiIranLibyaSomaliaSudanYemen

Proclamation 10998 – effective January 1, 2026 (alphabetised)

AfghanistanBurkina Faso (added)Burma (Myanmar)ChadEquatorial GuineaEritreaHaitiIranLaos (moved from partial ban)LibyaMali (added)Niger (added)Palestinian Authority Travel Documents (added)Republic of the CongoSierra Leone (moved from partial ban)SomaliaSouth Sudan (added)SudanSyria (added)Nationals of 19 countries, along with individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents, are subject to this full ban.

Countries under a partial US travel ban

These countries face restrictions on entry as immigrants and as nonimmigrants holding B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M or J visas.

Proclamation 10949 – original countries

BurundiCubaLaosSierra LeoneTogoTurkmenistan*Venezuela

Proclamation 10998 – effective January 1, 2026

Angola (added)Antigua and Barbuda (added)Benin (added)BurundiCôte d’Ivoire (added)CubaDominica (added)Gabon (added)The Gambia (added)Malawi (added)Mauritania (added)Nigeria (added)Senegal (added)Tanzania (added)TogoTonga (added)Turkmenistan**VenezuelaZambia (added)Zimbabwe (added)Nationals of 20 countries are subject to the partial ban. **Turkmenistan is the only exception within this group: restrictions apply only to immigrants, while nonimmigrant visa categories remain unaffected.For all countries under the partial ban, the proclamation also instructs US consular officers to limit the validity of any other nonimmigrant visas to the maximum extent permitted by law.