Reciprocity by Country


If you are looking for current information on the fees that the United States charges for nonimmigrant visas, you have come to the right place. In addition, you will find country-specific information regarding documents such as birth certificates and police records.

Use the drop down menu above to select the country you are interested in to view the reciprocity table and document information.

What is Reciprocity?

Nonimmigrant visa fees are based on "reciprocity," (what another country charges a United States citizen for a similar-type of visa). The United States strives to eliminate visa issuance fees whenever possible; however, when a foreign government imposes such fees on U.S. citizens for certain types of visas, the United States will impose a "reciprocal" fee to nationals of that country for similar-type of visas.

The Difference Between Visa Issuance and Visa Application Fees

If money is important to you, and you or somebody you know needs a United States visa, you need to understand the distinction between a visa "issuance" fee and a visa "application" fee. Most non-diplomatic and non-official visas issued by United States consular officers abroad require a visa "application" (machine-readable visa - MRV) fee that recovers for the United States the costs associated with manufacturing, processing, and printing the visa. The current visa "application" fee is $131.00. Most visa applicants (visitors, students, temporary workers, etc.) are charged this $131.00 visa "application" fee even if there is no visa "issuance" fee. So, when you are looking at one of the following country reciprocity schedules, don't forget that an additional $131.00 visa "application" fee should be factored into the overall total cost of the visa unless the visa is "diplomatic" or "official" in nature. At the top of the page click on the letter that begins the country's name. Then click on the country. The information contained at this site reflects the most recent reciprocity schedules and availability of country documents.