No diplomatic relations
Afghanistan and Israel have no diplomatic relations and travel between them is not permitted; Afghan passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
Data Tracker · 2026
Passport travel restrictions & entry bans
Some trips are not a question of “which visa” — they are simply not permitted. A handful of passport-and-destination pairs are blocked by severed diplomatic relations, entry bans, passport-validity exclusions, sanctions or special-permit rules. We track every one we’ve verified — what the restriction is, why, and the source — so you never plan an impossible trip. Each entry is dated and re-reviewed; rules like these change, so confirm with the relevant government before booking.
30Tracked restrictions
24Travel not permitted
19Passports affected
16Destinations involved
The main clusters
The Israel bloc
Most prohibited pairs involve Israel. A group of states with no diplomatic relations refuse Israeli passport holders, and several — Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia — issue passports that are explicitly not valid for travel to Israel, so the bar runs both ways.
The US entry proclamation
A 2026 US presidential proclamation suspends or sharply restricts entry for nationals of several countries — including Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Myanmar and Haiti — covering both immigrant and non-immigrant visas. This is volatile policy and reviewed periodically.
Frozen conflicts & special permits
Armenia↔Azerbaijan remains closed in both directions. Travel between mainland China and Taiwan uses special permits, not the passport. Russian nationals face tightened EU/Schengen visa scrutiny.
Every tracked restriction
Sanctions / restrictions apply
As of 2026, the United States has fully suspended the entry of Afghanistan nationals — both immigrants and non-immigrants — under a presidential proclamation, so Afghanistan passport holders cannot ordinarily obtain a US visa.
No diplomatic relations
Algeria and Israel have no diplomatic relations and travel between them is not permitted; Algerian passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
Entry not permitted
Armenia and Azerbaijan have no diplomatic relations and their shared border is closed, and Azerbaijan does not admit Armenian passport holders — so ordinary travel from Armenia to Azerbaijan is not possible.
No diplomatic relations
Armenia and Azerbaijan have no diplomatic relations and their shared border is closed, so there are no direct links and ordinary travel from Azerbaijan to Armenia is not possible.
Passport not valid for this destination
Bangladesh maintains a travel ban to Israel for its citizens and its passport again carries an "except Israel" endorsement (reinstated in 2025), so Bangladeshi passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
As of 2026, the United States has fully suspended the entry of Haiti nationals — both immigrants and non-immigrants — under a presidential proclamation, so Haiti passport holders cannot ordinarily obtain a US visa.
No diplomatic relations
Iran and Israel have no diplomatic relations and are in a state of hostility; travel between them is not permitted and Iranian passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
As of 2026, the United States has fully suspended the entry of Iran nationals — both immigrants and non-immigrants — under a presidential proclamation, so Iran passport holders cannot ordinarily obtain a US visa.
No diplomatic relations
Iraq and Israel have no diplomatic relations and travel between them is not permitted; Iraqi passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
Special permit required
Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and does not permit ordinary tourist entry to Israeli passport holders; only special prior approval (a "calling visa") is considered.
Entry not permitted
Kuwait refuses entry and transit to Israeli passport holders.
Entry not permitted
Malaysia refuses entry to Israeli passport holders for tourism; only limited non-tourist travel is possible, and only with a special clearance permit from the Malaysian government.
Entry not permitted
The Maldives prohibits entry to holders of Israeli passports under an April 2025 amendment to its Immigration Act, so travel to the Maldives on an Israeli passport is not permitted.
No diplomatic relations
Pakistan does not recognise Israel and does not admit Israeli passport holders; there is no tourist, work or study visa route for Israeli citizens.
Entry not permitted
Saudi Arabia does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and does not admit Israeli passport holders for tourism; entry is limited to narrow, case-by-case exceptions.
No diplomatic relations
Kuwait and Israel have no diplomatic relations and travel between them is not permitted; Kuwaiti passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
Passport not valid for this destination
Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and Malaysian passports are not valid for travel to Israel, so Malaysian citizens cannot ordinarily enter Israel.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
As of 2026, the United States has fully suspended the entry of Myanmar nationals — both immigrants and non-immigrants — under a presidential proclamation, so Myanmar passport holders cannot ordinarily obtain a US visa.
Passport not valid for this destination
Pakistan does not recognise Israel, and the Pakistani passport is printed "valid for all countries of the world except Israel" — so Pakistani passport holders cannot use it to travel to Israel.
No diplomatic relations
Saudi Arabia and Israel do not maintain diplomatic relations; ordinary travel between them is not permitted and Saudi passport holders cannot travel to Israel as tourists.
No diplomatic relations
Syria and Israel have no diplomatic relations and are in a state of hostility; travel between them is not permitted and Syrian passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
No diplomatic relations
Yemen and Israel have no diplomatic relations and travel between them is not permitted; Yemeni passport holders cannot travel to Israel.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
As of 2026, the United States has fully suspended the entry of Yemen nationals — both immigrants and non-immigrants — under a presidential proclamation, so Yemen passport holders cannot ordinarily obtain a US visa.
Special permit required
Residents of mainland China do not use an ordinary Taiwan visa — they need an Exit & Entry Permit issued by Taiwan under specific schemes, and independent tourism from the mainland is currently suspended.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
Finland has closed all of its land-border crossing points with Russia, so overland entry from Russia is not possible and visa issuance is heavily restricted.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
Poland operates a near-total tourist-visa ban for Russian nationals and no longer accepts non-biometric Russian passports, so entry from Russia is heavily restricted.
Special permit required
Residents of Taiwan do not use an ordinary passport visa for mainland China — they travel on the Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (台胞證), issued by mainland authorities.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
Israel and Morocco normalised relations in December 2020, and Israeli nationals can apply for a Morocco eVisa — but the relationship is politically sensitive and the consular route has been disrupted, so check the current rules before booking.
Sanctions / restrictions apply
Russian nationals can still apply for Schengen visas, but since the EU suspended its visa-facilitation agreement with Russia in September 2022 the process is slower, costlier and far more scrutinised — and several member states restrict or refuse tourist visas.
How we built this tracker
- What counts. A restriction is a real (passport → destination) constraint that overrides ordinary visa rules: no diplomatic relations, an entry ban, a passport not valid for the destination, a sanctions measure, or a special-permit-only regime. We grade each as prohibited, restricted or advisory.
- Direction matters. Restrictions are directional. Where a bar applies both ways — as with several Israel pairs — both directions are listed as separate, sourced rows.
- Sourced and dated. Every row cites an authoritative source — a government portal, proclamation, official visa policy or reputable reference — and carries a verification date. This is the hardest data to get right and the easiest to get wrong.
- These rules change. Normalisation (the Abraham Accords), new proclamations and reopened borders all move this list. Treat it as a current snapshot, re-reviewed on a rolling basis, and confirm with the relevant government before you travel.
Travel restrictions — FAQ
Which passports cannot travel to Israel?
Holders of passports from a group of states that have no diplomatic relations with Israel — including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Afghanistan — cannot ordinarily travel to Israel. In some cases the bar is mutual: Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Malaysian passports carry a printed clause or policy making them invalid for travel to Israel, so the restriction runs in both directions.
Can someone enter the United States with an Afghan, Iranian or Yemeni passport?
As of 2026 a US presidential proclamation fully suspends or sharply restricts the entry of nationals of several countries — including Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Myanmar and Haiti — covering both immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Nationals of those countries generally cannot obtain an ordinary US visa while the proclamation is in force. This is volatile policy; always confirm the current list with the US State Department.
Why can’t Armenian passport holders enter Azerbaijan?
Armenia and Azerbaijan have no diplomatic relations, their shared border is closed, and Azerbaijan does not admit Armenian passport holders. As a result ordinary travel between the two is not possible. The constraint is recorded in both directions.
How do mainland Chinese and Taiwanese travellers cross between China and Taiwan?
Travel between mainland China and Taiwan does not use the ordinary passport-and-visa system. Mainland residents need a Taiwan-issued entry permit, and Taiwan residents use the PRC “Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents”, not their passport. We classify both as a special-permit restriction rather than a ban.
Are these restrictions permanent?
No. Diplomatic relations, sanctions and entry proclamations change — the Abraham Accords normalised several Israel relationships, and US entry proclamations are reviewed periodically. Every row here carries a source and a verification date, and we re-review the volatile ones on a rolling basis. Always confirm the current rule with the relevant government before booking.
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Cite this study
Visa Search by Altoglobe. (2026). Passport Travel Restrictions & Entry Bans (2026). Retrieved from https://www.thevisasearch.com/passport-travel-restrictionsEmbed on your site
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.thevisasearch.com/passport-travel-restrictions">Passport Travel Restrictions & Entry Bans (2026)</a> by Visa Search by Altoglobe.</p>