aids travel ban

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Digestive Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diet & Nutrition
• Supplements
• Health Insurance
• Public Health
• Patient Rights
• Caregivers & Loved Ones
• End of Life Concerns
• Health News
• Thyroid Test Analyzer
• Doctor Discussion Guides
• Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
• Lipid Test Analyzer
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
• What to Buy
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Which Countries Restrict Travel to People With HIV?

It was only in 2010 that the United States finally lifted its 22-year ban on travelers with HIV , a law that prohibited all infected persons from obtaining tourist visas or permanent residence status in the U.S.. The order, initiated by George H.W. Bush in 2008, was made official by Barack Obama on January 4, 2010.

While efforts are being made to end similar laws throughout the world, the Global Database on HIV-Specific Travel & Residence Restrictions (a joint European initiative published by the International AIDS Society) reports that as of 2023, 56 out of 200 countries are known to have entry regulations for people living with HIV, and seven of these countries will categorically refuse entry without exception. In some of these countries, entry may be allowed, but there are restrictions depending on the length of stay. For example, 54 countries have restrictions on stays over 90 days (student and work visas); whereas less than 10 countries have laws that can affect travelers visiting for less than 90 days (tourists). Furthermore, 18 of these countries will deport visitors discovered to have HIV.

HIV Travel Restrictions in Practice

It is important to note, however, that there is often a lack of clarity about these laws, with some either not addressing HIV directly (describing only "infectious disease" concerns) or not enforcing the laws all that stringently, if at all. As such, the assessments provided below are couched in terms that best reflect whether an action "will," "can" or "may" take place.

Similarly, there is a lack of clarity about the import of antiretroviral drugs —whether the drugs are allowed for personal use; how much can be brought in if they are permitted; or if possession of such constitutes the right to deny entry.

For these reasons, it is advised that you always speak with the consulate or embassy of any of the listed destinations if you plan to visit.

Countries With Restrictions for People Living with HIV

Algeria (>90 days)

Aruba (>90 days)

Australia (>90 days)

Azerbaidjan (>90 days)

Bahrain (>90 days)

Belize (>90 days)

Bhutan (>2 weeks)

Bosnia Herzegovina (>90 days)

Brunei (no entry, will deport)

Cayman Islands (>90 days)

China (>90 days, will deport)

Cuba (>90 days)

Cyprus (>90 days)

Dominican Republic (>90 days)

Egypt (>90 days, will deport)

Equatorial Guinea (no entry, will deport)

Honduras (>90 days)

Iran (>90 days)

Iraq (>10 days, possible deportation)

Israel (>90 days)

Jordan (no entry, will deport)

Kazakhstan (>90 days)

Kuwait (>90 days, will deport)

Kyrgyzstan (>60 days)

Lebanon (>90 days, will deport)

Malaysia (>90 days, will deport)

Marshall Islands (>30 days)

Mauritius (>90 days)

Montserrat (>90 days)

Nicaragua (>90 days)

North Korea (will deport)

Oman (>90 days, will deport)

Papua New Guinea (>6 months)

Paraguay (>90 days)

Qatar (>1 month, will deport)

Russia (>90 days, will deport)

Samoa (>90 days)

Saudi Arabia (>90 days, will deport)

Seychelles (>90 days)

Singapore (>90 days)

Slovakia (>90 days)

Solomon Islands (no entry, will deport)

St. Kitts and Nevis (>90 days)

St. Vincent and Grenadines (>90 days)

Sudan (>90 days)

Suriname (entry restrictions)

Syria (>90 days, will deport)

Tonga (>90 days)

Tunisia (>30 days)

Turks and Caicos Islands (>90 days)

United Arab Emirates (UAE) (no entry, will deport)

Uzbekistan (>90 days)

Virgin Islands (>90 days)

Yemen (no entry, will deport)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Medical examination of aliens—Removal of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection from definition of communicable disease of public health significance. Final rule . Fed Regist.  2009;74:56547–56562.

The Global Database on HIV-Specific Travel & Residence Restrictions. Regulations on entry, stay and residence for PLHIV .

By James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, MD Dr. Sifris is an HIV specialist and Medical Director of LifeSense Disease Management. Myhre is a journalist and HIV educator.

HIV-related travel restrictions

• Press release
• Personal stories
• Infographic

Cookies in use

After 22 years, hiv travel and immigration ban lifted.

by HRC Staff • January 4, 2010

"The United States of America has moved one step closer to helping combat the stigma and ignorance that still too often guides public policy debates around HIV/AIDS," said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

Washington - The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed the announcement that a ban on HIV positive visitors and immigrants entering the country, first established in 1987, has been lifted. A regulation promulgated by the Obama administration last summer and finalized in November goes into effect today, removing HIV from the list of communicable diseases that bar foreign nationals from entering the United States.

"The United States of America has moved one step closer to helping combat the stigma and ignorance that still too often guides public policy debates around HIV/AIDS. Today, a sad chapter in our nation's response to people with HIV and AIDS has finally come to a close and we are a better nation for it," said HRC President Joe Solmonese."This policy, in place for more than two decades, was unnecessary, ineffective and lacked any public health justification."

In July 2008, President Bush signed into law, as part of the reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a provision that removed the ban from statute and returned regulatory authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to determine whether HIV should remain on a list of communicable diseases that bar foreign nationals from entering the United States.

HRC has been a lead organization lobbying on Capitol Hill for the statutory repeal and working to ensure that Department of Health and Human Services' regulations were changed. The Human Rights Campaign worked closely with the offices of Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and former Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), as well as Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), the sponsors of the effort in Congress last year to repeal the ban. After the passage of the PEPFAR bill, HRC lobbied both the Bush and Obama administrations to remove the remaining regulatory ban. In July 2009, when the proposed regulation lifting the ban was open for public comment, more than 19,000 HRC members and supporters submitted statements in favor of ending the discriminatory policy.

The travel and immigration ban prohibited HIV-positive foreign nationals from entering the U.S. unless they obtained a special waiver, which was difficult to secure and then only allowed for short-term travel. The policy also prevented the vast majority of foreign nationals with HIV from obtaining legal permanent residency in the United States. The ban originated in 1987, and was explicitly codified by Congress in 1993, despite efforts in the public health community to remove the ban when Congress reformed U.S. immigration law in the early 1990s. While immigration law currently excludes foreigners with any "communicable disease of public health significance" from entering the U.S., only HIV had been explicitly named in the statute.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

To make a general inquiry, please visit our contact page. Members of the media can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email [email protected].

Love conquers hate.

Wear your pride this year..

100% of every HRC merchandise purchase fuels the fight for equality.

Choose a Location

• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• New Hampshire
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Pennsylvania
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• West Virginia

Leaving Site

You are leaving hrc.org.

By clicking "GO" below, you will be directed to a website operated by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) entity.

United States of America

The us hiv ban - additional information.

• background and history of the law,
• who is concerned by the law,
• how the law is enforced,
• how to enter the US legally as a person with HIV/AIDS,
• strategies on how people try to circumvent the regulations,
• the first ever study on the effects of the law (Brighton study). 

Who is concerned by the law?

• Residency and work permit applicants
• Non-immigrant visitors requiring a visa
• Non-immigrant visitors entering with the green I94-W form

How is the law enforced?

Is it possible to enter the us legally with hiv.

• to attend conferences
• to receive medical treatment
• to visit close family members
• to conduct business
• The passport will be marked with the mention “Allowed to enter the U.S. with HIV visa waiver only”. HIV-Nachrichten, Germany, no 80, May 2004
• A stamp is put in the passport unless the applicant asks for it to be put on a separate piece of paper attached to the passport. However, most PWHA aren't told about this option when they apply for the visa. Terrence Higgins Trust, by e-mail, Aug 10, 2004
• As I applied for a J1 and an H1B working visa including an HIV waiver, this was stamped in my passport: For the J1 visa: Annotation A77 681 388 212 (D) (3) (A) Waiver The J1 visa is a non-immigrant visa for exchange visitors (e.g. au-pairs, guest professors, post doctoral associates and other short term workers) and is issued for the maximum period of 3 years). In my case, the visa was issued for 20 months from the US Consulate in Berlin (August 2001). My sponsor was the Council of International Educational Exchange. I was the first of 40.000 participants in this exchange program who openly declared her HIV status. I had to bring my entire family (although they were all HIV negative) to a physician licensed to issue health certificates for the US consulate (costs $350). For the H1B visa: Annotation 212(A) (I) The H1B visa programme is the primary method for bringing foreign professionals to work in the USA. If you do not have HIV, were not born in a country behind the "axis of evil" or have no other characteristics the immigration law does not favor, you can apply for a green-card with the H1B visa. The H1B visa can be issued for up to 5 years for non-immigrants. This time the University of Miami applied for my visa for duration of three years and the visa was issued in July 2003 by the US consulate in Frankfurt. For both visas I had to appear in person at the US consulates. A proof of coverage of my HIV related treatment from Germany and the letter of the physician licensed by the US consulate were required. None of the consulates informed me that there was the option to have the annotation attached on a separate form. I did not ask and was not aware of this option. Although the annotation in the H1B visa does not say explicitly that I required a waiver, I got pulled out at customs at entry and an officer asked me why I required a visa. He was very friendly after he heard that I was HIV infected and gave me a webpage with treatment information and wished me good health. HK, Germany, by e-mail, Aug 10, 2004

What are people doing to enter the US anyway?

• Rebottle medications with non-prescription packaging
• Have a letter from a clinician on you

Get the meds rebottled in neutral packaging and properly labeled by your pharmacy (which means without mentioning the nature or brand name of the drugs). To comply with US law, you need to carry a letter from a clinician which states that your drugs are prescribed for a personal medical condition. This letter should not mention HIV. Be ready to answer the question why you need these meds without hesitation (blood pressure, coronary problems, etc.). Risk: Small, especially with today’s therapies (reduced number of pills). Plan well ahead to have everything ready. Advice: You should carry the drugs in your hand luggage. Checked luggage is sometimes late or can get lost completely. However, be aware that the drugs can be detected more easily that way. 2. Carry the needed drugs on you, or in your luggage This is, as the Brighton study shows below, what most people do.  Risk: There is a certain risk of being detected, by immigration officials, or by customs. Since September 11 2001, luggage is checked more frequently and more thoroughly . If this happens, you may face deportation by the next available flight. As a consequence, there is zero chance of being readmitted to enter the US at a later occasion. Advice:

• HIV-positives are advised to take enough medication to cover delays.
• To comply with US law, you need to carry a letter from a clinician which states that your drugs are prescribed for a personal medical condition. This letter should not mention HIV. Be ready to answer the question why you need these meds without hesitation (blood pressure, coronary problems, etc.).
• You should carry the drugs in your hand luggage. Checked luggage is sometimes late or can get lost completely. However, be aware that the drugs can be detected more easily that way.
• Leaving the US with remaining ARVs in the hand luggage is not free of risk. The authors know of a case where an HIV-positive person had his hand luggage searched through customs officials after boarding the plane. His drugs were detected, he cannot return to the US anymore.
• Take a last dose to be safe during travel, before checking in, eliminate remaining meds and ensure to have drugs available when needed after arrival. However, there is a small risk in case of delayed departure.
• Identify a US citizen to whom you can mail the drugs safely.
• Put a note in the parcel, saying that the drugs are a donation (this is credible, as many people in the United States have no health insurance and live on donated drugs).
• Make sure that the sender of the parcel is an HIV-negative family member, friend or a US citizen.
• Contact your health insurance to learn if drugs you purchase in the US are reimbursed (medication, including antiretrovirals, are often more expensive in the US than elsewhere).
• Get a prescription for the medication you are taking from your doctor.
• Take a last dose of your meds before leaving the plane.
• Get an appointment with an HIV specialist on arrival to get a prescription.
• Buy your drugs through a US pharmacy. 
• Act Up, New York Web: www.actupny.org E-mail: [email protected]  
• Gay Men’s Health Crisis, New York Web: www.gmhc.org E-mail: [email protected]   Phone: +1 212 807 6655

One-in-eight interrupted treatment

Inadequate insurance, a blunt instrument.

• Terrence Higgins Trust www.tht.org.uk  
• AIDS Treatment Update, February 2004, #133, US Travel Health Warning Why the US HIV travel ban is seriously damaging our health www.aidsmap.co.uk  
• www.aidsandthelaw.com/  
• www.eatg.org/hivtravel/country.php?id=3022  
• HIV Nachrichten, May 2004, #80, www.hivlife.de/  
• Kerry campaign promise: http://archives.healthdev.net/pwha-net/msg00786.html  
• Countries participating in the visa waiver programme (VWP): Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom. Citizens of the mentioned countries are admitted to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. 
• HIV Infection: Inadmissibility and Waiver Policies, US Department of Justice July 10, 1998 see www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?dockey=2a99077363b05b4f57f9a903fc0ca1d6  
• www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?dockey=bff81c6f743142d536054ea514c22282  
• Boseley S. Drive to end US curb on HIV visitors, The Guardian March 5, 2002 
• Ponnusamy K et al. A study of knowledge attitudes and health outcomes in HIV positive patients following travel to the United States of America. 9th EACS, abstract 10.1/2, 2003. 
• www.immigration-usa.com/ina_96_title_2.html  
• George W. Bush, State of the Union Address to Congress 2007, January 23, 2007, www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/initiatives/hivaids.html consulted July 11, 2008

• What Are HIV and AIDS?
• How Is HIV Transmitted?
• Who Is at Risk for HIV?
• Symptoms of HIV
• U.S. Statistics
• Impact on Racial and Ethnic Minorities
• Global Statistics
• HIV and AIDS Timeline
• In Memoriam
• Supporting Someone Living with HIV
• Standing Up to Stigma
• Getting Involved
• HIV Treatment as Prevention
• Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
• Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
• Preventing Sexual Transmission of HIV
• Alcohol and HIV Risk
• Substance Use and HIV Risk
• Preventing Perinatal Transmission of HIV
• HIV Vaccines
• Long-acting HIV Prevention Tools
• Microbicides
• Who Should Get Tested?
• HIV Testing Locations
• HIV Testing Overview
• Understanding Your HIV Test Results
• Living with HIV
• Talking About Your HIV Status
• Locate an HIV Care Provider
• Types of Providers
• Take Charge of Your Care
• What to Expect at Your First HIV Care Visit
• Making Care Work for You
• Seeing Your Health Care Provider
• HIV Lab Tests and Results
• Returning to Care
• HIV Treatment Overview
• Viral Suppression and Undetectable Viral Load
• Taking Your HIV Medicine as Prescribed
• Tips on Taking Your HIV Medicine as Prescribed
• Paying for HIV Care and Treatment
• Other Health Issues of Special Concern for People Living with HIV
• Alcohol and Drug Use
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) and People with HIV
• Hepatitis B & C
• Vaccines and People with HIV
• Flu and People with HIV
• Mental Health
• Mpox and People with HIV
• Opportunistic Infections
• Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Syphilis and People with HIV
• HIV and Women's Health Issues
• Aging with HIV
• Emergencies and Disasters and HIV
• Employment and Health
• Exercise and Physical Activity
• Nutrition and People with HIV
• Housing and Health

Traveling Outside the U.S.

• Civil Rights
• Workplace Rights
• Limits on Confidentiality
• National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2022-2025)
• Implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy
• Prior National HIV/AIDS Strategies (2010-2021)
• Key Strategies
• Priority Jurisdictions
• HHS Agencies Involved
• Learn More About EHE
• Ready, Set, PrEP
• Ready, Set, PrEP Pharmacies
• Ready, Set, PrEP Resources
• AHEAD: America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard
• HIV Prevention Activities
• HIV Testing Activities
• HIV Care and Treatment Activities
• HIV Research Activities
• Activities Combating HIV Stigma and Discrimination
• The Affordable Care Act and HIV/AIDS
• HIV Care Continuum
• Syringe Services Programs
• Finding Federal Funding for HIV Programs
• Fund Activities
• The Fund in Action
• About PACHA
• Members & Staff
• Subcommittees
• Prior PACHA Meetings and Recommendations
• I Am a Work of Art Campaign
• Awareness Campaigns
• Global HIV/AIDS Overview
• U.S. Government Global HIV/AIDS Activities
• U.S. Government Global-Domestic Bidirectional HIV Work
• Global HIV/AIDS Organizations
• National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day February 7
• HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day February 28
• National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10
• National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 20
• National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day April 10
• HIV Vaccine Awareness Day May 18
• National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day May 19
• HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day June 5
• National HIV Testing Day June 27
• Zero HIV Stigma July 21
• Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day August 20
• National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day August 27
• National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness Day September 9
• National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day September 18
• National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day September 27
• National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day October 15
• World AIDS Day December 1
• Event Planning Guide
• U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA)
• National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment
• AIDS 2020 (23rd International AIDS Conference Virtual)

Want to stay abreast of changes in prevention, care, treatment or research or other public health arenas that affect our collective response to the HIV epidemic? Or are you new to this field?

HIV.gov curates learning opportunities for you, and the people you serve and collaborate with.

Stay up to date with the webinars, Twitter chats, conferences and more in this section.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Email

Can I Travel Abroad with HIV?

With proper treatment, people with HIV can lead healthy and active lives, including traveling for business and pleasure. However, traveling to other countries, particularly developing countries, may require some advance preparation and special precautions.

Before You Travel

Covid-19 information.

CDC recommends making sure you are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, and consider getting tested before travel. Follow all requirements and recommendations at each location during travel. If you are traveling internationally, check the COVID-19 Travel Health Notice for your destination and visit CDC’s International Travel webpage for requirements and recommendations.

Before you travel, see your health care provider or travel health specialist to discuss the medical risks you might face and what you should do to prepare for safe and healthy travel. Ideally, this conversation should take place at least 4-6 weeks before your scheduled departure.

Talk to your provider about the places you plan to visit . They may:

• Recommend certain travel vaccines . Most travel vaccines are made from killed bacteria or viruses and can be given safely to people with HIV and others with weakened immune systems. However, they may be less effective than in people with strong immune systems and may not provide full protection. Your doctor may recommend blood tests to confirm that a vaccine was effective or recommend additional precautions to keep you safe. Some vaccines are made from live viruses and many people with weakened immune systems should not take them. However, depending on the circumstances, the benefits of protection may outweigh the risks. Talk to your health care provider about what is recommended for you.
• Recommend you pack a supply of medicine like antibiotics to treat travelers’ diarrhea , which can affect people with weakened immune systems.
• Provide you with the name(s) of health care providers or clinics that treat people with HIV infection in the region you plan to visit.
• Advise you on how to minimize the risk of malaria and other insect-borne diseases such as dengue and yellow fever , depending on your destination. People who have weakened immune systems can get seriously ill from malaria, so it’s important to closely follow your doctor’s instructions for taking the preventative medicine, which may include taking it for several weeks before and after the trip. You should also take steps to avoid bug bites : wear insect repellent, wear long pants and sleeves, and sleep under a net if your rooms are exposed to the outdoors.

Also, educate yourself about your insurance policies:

• Review your medical insurance to see what coverage it provides when you are away from home . You may purchase supplemental traveler’s insurance to cover the cost of emergency medical evacuation by air and the cost of in-country care if these costs are not covered by your regular insurance. View the U.S. State Department’s information on insurance for overseas travel .
• Take proof of insurance , such as a photocopy or scan your policy and send the image to an e-mail address you can access both in the United States and abroad. Leave a copy at home and tell your friends or family where it is located.

Stay Up to Date on Your Sexual Health Care

Whether you are traveling or staying close to home for events, CDC recommends the following:

• Visit your health care provider or find a health clinic to stay up to date with your sexual health care. Discuss the types of sex you have so that your provider can offer testing and prevention services, including vaccines , that are right for you.
• Know your HIV status. If you don’t know your HIV status, get tested near where you live, work, or play, including options for ordering free self-testing kits Exit Disclaimer . No matter your results, there are steps you can take to stay healthy. If you don’t have HIV, you have options to prevent HIV, including finding a PrEP provider to see if PrEP is right for you. If you test positive, you can find a care provider and live well with HIV. HIV treatment will keep you healthy and prevent you from transmitting HIV to your sex partners.
• If you are sexually active, get tested for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like gonorrhea and syphilis. This is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. You can also find STI testing sites near you and learn more about how to prevent STIs .
• Get tested for viral hepatitis and consider vaccinations for hepatitis A and B. Learn about hepatitis testing, prevention, and treatment.
• Learn more about mpox and be sure to get your two-dose mpox vaccine. Mpox cases in the United States are becoming increasingly rare, but unvaccinated and under-vaccinated people who could benefit from vaccine may still be at risk. The best protection against mpox occurs 2 weeks after the second shot , so plan ahead and use other strategies to prevent mpox.
• Be knowledgeable of other infections like shigella and meningococcal disease , and how to prevent them.

When You Travel Abroad

Food and water in developing countries may contain germs that could make you sick.

• eat raw fruit or vegetables that you do not peel yourself;
• eat raw or undercooked seafood or meat;
• eat unpasteurized dairy products;
• eat anything from a street vendor;
• drink tap water (in developing countries some hotels may purify their own water, but it is safer to avoid it), drinks made with tap water, or ice made from tap water.

Do eat and drink:

• hot coffee or tea;
• bottled water and drinks (make sure the seals are original and have not been tampered with);
• water that you bring to a rolling boil for one full minute then cool in a covered and clean vessel;
• fruits that you peel;
• wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages are also safe.
• Tuberculosis is very common worldwide and can be severe in people with HIV. Avoid hospitals and clinics where coughing TB patients are treated. See your doctor upon your return to discuss whether you should be tested for TB.
• Animal wastes , such as fecal droppings in soil or on sidewalks, can pose hazards to individuals with weakened immune systems. Physical barriers, such as shoes, can protect you from direct contact. Likewise, towels can protect you from direct contact when lying on a beach or in parks. If you are in physical contact with animals, wash your hands thoroughly afterwards with soap and water.
• Take all your medications on schedule, as usual.
• Stick to your special diet , if you are on one.
• Take the same precautions that you take at home to prevent transmitting HIV to others.

Are There Restrictions on Traveling Abroad?

Some countries restrict visitors with HIV from entering their borders or staying for long periods of time. Others permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identification. According to the State Department , more than 70 countries consider consensual same-sex relations a crime, sometimes carrying severe punishment. Before you travel internationally, be aware of the laws, policies, and practices in the country or countries you plan to visit. This information is usually available from the consular offices of each country or in the State Department’s country information summaries , along with information about entry and exit requirements.

Traveling to the U.S. from Other Countries

As of January 2010, travelers with HIV or AIDS are allowed entrance into the U.S.

What Travelers’ Health Resources Are Available?

CDC's Yellow Book , a guide to health information for international travelers is an excellent resource for anyone traveling overseas. The section on Immunocompromised Travelers has extensive information for people with HIV.

CDC’s Travelers’ Health website contains find information on:

• travelers’ health for people with weakened immune systems
• travel health notices for destinations
• recommended vaccinations and precautions for destinations

Additionally, the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV contain information about immunization against malaria and other infections that may be useful.

Related HIV.gov Blogs

• People with HIV
• CDC – Get Healthy and Ready for Summer 2023
• U.S. State Dept. – Traveler’s Checklist
• U.S. State Dept. – Your Health Abroad
• U.S. State Dept. – Traveling with Disabilities and Medical Considerations

Knowledge Article

I am HIV+ and on medication and want to travel to the United States.

Individuals who are HIV-Positive may now enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Program .  Thus, HIV-positive travelers seeking entry to the United States no longer need a waiver of inadmissibility to travel to the United States.  HIV has been removed from the Health and Human Services (HHS) list of communicable diseases that keep people who are not U.S. citizens from entering the United States. This includes travelers who successfully obtained a waiver of inadmissibility for HIV infection in the past and those who were denied admission into the United States based on HIV infection and the lack of a waiver of inadmissibility thereof. Travelers from the VWP countries who were previously denied an approved ESTA based solely on HIV infection would not be barred from re-applying for travel authorization and their HIV infection would no longer bar them from receiving an ESTA authorization. When completing the Electronic System for Travel Authorization   (ESTA) application, individuals who are HIV-Positive may now select "No" as the answer to the question that asks if you have any communicable diseases (unless, of course, you have one of the other listed diseases). There is an ESTA application fee of $21 USD .  Valid payment methods include MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover (JCB or Diners Club only), and PayPal.  For more information on this topic, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio n website.  

Article Number

Date Published

Ask a Question

Submit a Complaint

Submit a Compliment

Report Illegal Activities

Additional Information

• About UNAIDS
• Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026
• United Nations declarations and goals
• UNAIDS governance
• UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board
• Results and transparency portal
• UNAIDS Cosponsors
• UNAIDS ambassadors and global advocates
• UNAIDS leadership
• UNAIDS evaluation office
• UNAIDS ethics office
• UNAIDS transformation
• Sustainability of the HIV response
• Community pandemic response
• Education Plus Initiative
• Global alliance to end AIDS in children
• Equal access to cutting edge HIV technologies
• Save lives: Decriminalize
• Global council on inequality, AIDS and pandemics
• Resources and financing
• Global HIV Prevention Coalition
• Global Partnership to Eliminate Stigma and Discrimination
• 2025 AIDS targets
• AIDS and SDGs
• Community mobilization
• Fast-Track cities
• H6 partnership
• HIV prevention
• HIV treatment
• Human rights
• Key populations
• Private sector and the AIDS response
• Security and humanitarian affairs
• Social protection
• Universal health coverage
• Young people
• Press centre
• Publications
• Infographics
• FAQ on HIV and AIDS
• World AIDS Day
• Zero Discrimination Day
• Latest data on HIV
• Data on key populations
• Laws and policies
• HIV financial resources
• Technical Support Mechanism
• Learn about HIV and AIDS
• Take action
• Become a donor
• Investment Book

Still not welcome

27 June 2019

Mandatory HIV testing and bans on entry, stay and residence based on HIV status not only do not protect public health but undermine HIV prevention and treatment efforts. For millions of people living with HIV around the world, these are repeated violations of their right to privacy, equality and non-discrimination and a constant reminder of HIV-related stigma. In 2016, United Nations Member States agreed to eliminate HIV-related travel restrictions. In 2019, around 48 countries and territories still maintain some form of HIV-related travel restriction.

Countries take practical steps forward towards eliminating discrimination

09 February 2024

Tajikistan takes a positive step towards decriminalization of HIV exposure and transmission

30 January 2024

Seeking justice for HIV-related discrimination in the workplace in Guatemala

18 December 2023