United States
Phone Code
+1
Capital
Washington
Population
325 Million
Native Name
United States
Region
Americas
Northern America
Timezones
Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time
UTC-10:00
+28 more
On This Page
The United States spans a continent of extremes — from New York's skyline and Silicon Valley's innovation hubs to the Grand Canyon's ancient geology, Yellowstone's geothermal wonders, the beaches of Hawaii and the cultural depth of New Orleans. It is the world's largest economy, a global centre for technology, finance, entertainment, higher education and culture, and one of the most geographically diverse countries on earth. For international visitors, the US offers iconic cities (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Washington DC), national parks of staggering scale (Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion, Glacier, Great Smoky Mountains), world-class universities (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Columbia), a business ecosystem that spans Wall Street to Hollywood to Austin's tech scene, and a road-trip culture across landscapes that shift from desert to forest to coastline within a single day's drive. Visa requirements depend on nationality: citizens of 41 Visa Waiver Program countries can enter with an ESTA for up to 90 days; all other visitors require a visa obtained through a US embassy or consulate, typically with an in-person interview.
USA Visa & Immigration System
The US visa system is one of the most complex in the world. Citizens of 41 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries — including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand — can enter with an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days. ESTA must be applied for online at least 72 hours before travel and is valid for 2 years. All other nationalities require a visa obtained through a US embassy or consulate, typically involving an in-person interview. The most common nonimmigrant visa categories are B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism), often issued as a combined B-1/B-2. Work visas include the H-1B (specialty occupations), L-1 (intra-company transfers), O-1 (extraordinary ability) and E-2 (treaty investors). Student visas (F-1, J-1) require acceptance at a SEVP-certified institution. Having a valid visa or ESTA does not guarantee entry — final admission is determined by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the port of entry. Processing times vary significantly by embassy and visa type; apply well in advance.
Common Visa Types
ESTA (Visa Waiver Program)
Tourism, business meetings, transit for citizens of 41 VWP countries (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and others). Applied for online — no embassy visit needed. Must have a machine-readable passport.
B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa
B-1 for business (meetings, conferences, negotiations, contract signing) and B-2 for tourism, visiting family, medical treatment. Often issued as combined B-1/B-2. Requires in-person interview at US embassy or consulate. Apply via DS-160 online form.
F-1 Student Visa
Full-time study at SEVP-certified US universities, colleges, language schools and academic institutions. Requires Form I-20 from the institution, SEVIS fee payment, and embassy interview. Allows limited on-campus work; off-campus work via CPT/OPT programs.
J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa
Cultural exchange programmes: au pair, summer work travel, intern, trainee, teacher, professor, research scholar. Requires DS-2019 from a designated sponsor organisation.
H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa
Skilled workers in specialty occupations requiring a bachelor's degree or higher: IT, engineering, finance, medicine, science, architecture, law. Employer-sponsored with annual cap (lottery system for cap-subject petitions).
L-1 Intra-Company Transfer
Executives, managers and specialised knowledge employees transferring from a foreign office to a US office of the same company. No annual cap.
E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
Citizens of treaty countries who invest a substantial amount of capital in a US business. Must actively direct the business. Available to nationals of countries with a bilateral investment treaty with the US.
O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa
Individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or the motion picture/television industry. Requires evidence of sustained national or international acclaim.
Important Travel Information
Travel Guide
The United States is a country of continental scale where the diversity — geographic, cultural, culinary, climatic — defies any single characterisation. New York City is the world's most recognisable skyline: Manhattan's skyscrapers, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Broadway theatres, the Metropolitan Museum, Brooklyn's creative scene, and a food culture that spans $1 pizza slices to Michelin-starred tasting menus. Los Angeles sprawls from Hollywood Boulevard and Venice Beach to the Getty Center and the canyons of Malibu. San Francisco stacks Victorian houses on its hills above the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the tech ecosystem of Silicon Valley. Chicago's architecture — the birthplace of the skyscraper — lines the shores of Lake Michigan alongside deep-dish pizza and blues clubs. Miami merges Latin energy with Art Deco beachfront. New Orleans serves jazz, Creole cuisine and a nightlife culture that treats weeknights like Saturday. Washington DC concentrates the Smithsonian museums (free entry), the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol and the political machinery of the world's most powerful democracy. Beyond the cities: the Grand Canyon (277 miles long, over a mile deep), Yellowstone's geysers and grizzlies, Yosemite's granite walls and waterfalls, the red-rock deserts of Utah (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches), the Hawaiian islands' volcanoes and beaches, Alaska's glaciers and wilderness, the Blue Ridge Parkway through Appalachian autumn colour, and the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The American road trip — in a rented car across landscapes that change hourly — is one of the world's defining travel experiences. And the food: American cuisine is not one thing but hundreds of regional traditions — Texas barbecue, Maine lobster, New York bagels, Louisiana gumbo, California farm-to-table, Pacific Northwest seafood, Southern fried chicken, Tex-Mex, Hawaiian poke — and the immigrant cuisines of every nation on earth, available in every major city.
Ways to Experience This Destination
New York (Manhattan skyline, Broadway, Met, MoMA, Central Park, Brooklyn), Los Angeles (Hollywood, Venice Beach, Getty, Griffith Observatory), San Francisco (Golden Gate, Alcatraz, cable cars, Chinatown), Chicago (architecture, deep-dish pizza, Art Institute), Miami (Art Deco, Little Havana, South Beach), New Orleans (jazz, French Quarter, Creole cuisine), Washington DC (Smithsonian — free, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol).
Grand Canyon (Arizona), Yellowstone (Wyoming — geysers, wildlife), Yosemite (California — granite cliffs, waterfalls), Zion and Bryce Canyon (Utah — red rock), Glacier (Montana), Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina — most visited), Acadia (Maine — Atlantic coastline), Denali (Alaska — wilderness and grizzlies). The America the Beautiful Pass ($80/year) covers all 63 national parks.
Pacific Coast Highway (San Francisco to LA along Big Sur), Route 66 (Chicago to LA — the classic), Utah's Mighty Five (five national parks in one loop), Blue Ridge Parkway (Appalachian autumn colour), Florida Keys (Miami to Key West), Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier National Park), and the deserts of the American Southwest (Monument Valley, Death Valley, Joshua Tree).
Texas barbecue (brisket at Franklin's in Austin), New York pizza and bagels, Louisiana Creole and Cajun (gumbo, jambalaya, po'boys), Maine lobster rolls, California wine country (Napa, Sonoma), Pacific Northwest seafood and craft beer (Portland, Seattle), Chicago deep-dish pizza, Nashville hot chicken, and the craft cocktail revival across every major city.
Nashville (country music, honky-tonks, the Grand Ole Opry), New Orleans (jazz, Preservation Hall, Bourbon Street), Memphis (Beale Street blues, Sun Studio, Graceland), Austin (live music capital of the world), New York (Broadway, Carnegie Hall, jazz clubs), Los Angeles (Hollywood studios, Sunset Strip), and the festival circuit (Coachella, SXSW, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza).
Hawaii (Waikiki, Maui's Road to Hana, Big Island volcanoes, Kauai's Na Pali Coast), Florida (Miami Beach, the Keys, Clearwater), California (Malibu, Santa Monica, San Diego), the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico (Old San Juan, Flamenco Beach), the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the Jersey Shore.
Money & Currency
US Dollar ($)
Currency code: USD
Practical Money Tips
Currency in the United States
The US uses the US Dollar (USD, $). The dollar is the world's primary reserve currency and is widely exchanged everywhere. For the best rates, use ATMs on arrival rather than exchanging cash at airports or hotels. Exchange bureaus at JFK, LAX, SFO and other major airports charge commissions of 3–8% — ATM withdrawals give interbank rates minus your bank's fee. Banks in the US rarely offer currency exchange services to non-customers. Bring your debit card and a backup credit card; carry a small amount of cash ($50–100) for immediate expenses on arrival.
ATM Availability
ATMs are everywhere in the US — inside banks, at supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, shopping malls and airports. Major bank ATMs (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi) typically do not charge a fee to their own customers but charge $2–5 per withdrawal for non-customers and foreign cards. ATMs at convenience stores (7-Eleven, CVS) and standalone machines may charge $3–7. Visa, Mastercard, Plus and Cirrus networks are universally supported. Always decline 'conversion to your home currency' (Dynamic Currency Conversion) — it adds 3–5% markup. Tip: withdraw larger amounts less frequently to minimize per-transaction fees.
Card Acceptance
The US is very card-friendly — Visa and Mastercard are accepted virtually everywhere, from high-end restaurants to food trucks to highway toll booths. Contactless payment (tap-to-pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay) is increasingly widespread. American Express and Discover have broad but not universal acceptance. Some smaller businesses, farmers' markets, street food vendors and certain taxis may prefer or require cash. Credit cards are preferred for car rentals and hotel check-ins (many require a credit card, not debit, for the security deposit). The US has largely transitioned to chip-and-PIN, but some older terminals still use swipe. Carry $50–100 in cash as backup for tips, tolls, small vendors and the occasional cash-only establishment.
Tipping Customs
Tipping is not optional in the US — it is a fundamental part of the compensation system. Many service workers (waiters, bartenders) earn below minimum wage and depend on tips. Standard rates: sit-down restaurants 18–20% of the pre-tax bill (15% is the minimum for acceptable service); bars $1–2 per drink; taxis/rideshare 15–20%; hotel housekeeping $2–5 per night left on the pillow; hotel porters/bellhops $1–2 per bag; valet parking $2–5 when your car is returned; barber/hairdresser 15–20%; room service 15–20% if not already on the bill; food delivery 15–20% or $3–5 minimum. Not tipping or under-tipping is considered extremely rude and may result in being confronted. Calculate tips on the pre-tax subtotal. Many restaurants now add a gratuity automatically for groups of 6+.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
Cities with missions
Where this country maintains embassies or consulates
Explore different regions and their cities.
United States Embassies Worldwide
Popular Destinations
Top destinations with verified missions
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Embassies in United States
These foreign embassies and consulates are based here. Choose a mission to open its in-depth guide and contact details.
Key origin countries
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Cultural institutes — United States
Language courses, exams, libraries and cultural programmes with a local branch.
Alliance Française
Alliance Française de Washington, DC
Washington D.C.
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut Boston
Boston
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut Chicago
Chicago
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut Houston
Houston
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut New York
New York City
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut San Francisco
San Francisco
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut Washington
Washington D.C.
Museums
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Washington D.C.
Planning a trip to the United States — for tourism, business, study or work? Start your ESTA or visa application with iVisa and get step-by-step guidance.
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