E-1 Treaty Countries: Full list by nationality

Only nationals of a country with a qualifying treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States can apply for an E-1 Treaty Trader or E-2 Treaty Investor visa. Below is the complete list, based on the U.S. Department of State’s official treaty registry, showing which countries qualify for each category.

For full E-1 eligibility requirements and the application process, see our complete guide: Visa de Comerciante por Tratado E-1: ¿Quién Califica y Cómo Obtenerla?.

How to Read This List

Passport nationality is the starting point, not the full picture. A country appearing on this list only tells you that a treaty exists, it does not mean every applicant from that country automatically qualifies. Your business still needs to meet the substantial trade test and the 50%-ownership rule for E-1, or the qualifying investment threshold for E-2. Some treaties also carry country-specific conditions, noted in the table below.

E-1 and E-2 are separate treaties. A country can have one, both, or neither. Always confirm both classifications independently, a treaty covering trade does not automatically include investment, and vice versa.

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Full List of E-1 and E-2 Treaty CountriesCheck My Elegibility

Country	E-1	E-2	Treaty Effective Date	Notes
Albania	No	Sí	Jan 4, 1998	—
Argentina	Sí	Sí	Dec 20, 1854	—
Armenia	No	Sí	Mar 29, 1996	—
Australia	Sí	Sí	Dec 16/27, 1991	Also has E-3 for specialty occupations
Austria	Sí	Sí	May 27, 1931	—
Azerbaijan	No	Sí	Aug 2, 2001	—
Bahrain	No	Sí	May 30, 2001	—
Bangladesh	No	Sí	Jul 25, 1989	—
Belgium	Sí	Sí	Oct 3, 1963	—
Bolivia	Sí	Limited	Nov 9, 1862 (E-1); Jun 6, 2001 (E-2)	E-2 limited to investments made before Jun 10, 2012
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sí	Sí	Nov 15, 1982	Successor to former Yugoslavia treaty
Brunei	Sí	No	Jul 11, 1853	—
Bulgaria	No	Sí	Jun 2, 1954	—
Cameroon	No	Sí	Apr 6, 1989	—
Canadá	Sí	Sí	Jan 1, 1994	—
Chile	Sí	Sí	Jan 1, 2004	—
China (Taiwan)	Sí	Sí	Nov 30, 1948	Administered via the American Institute in Taiwan
Colombia	Sí	Sí	Jun 10, 1948	—
Congo (Brazzaville)	No	Sí	Aug 13, 1994	—
Congo (Kinshasa)	No	Sí	Jul 28, 1989	—
Costa Rica	Sí	Sí	May 26, 1852	—
Croatia	Sí	Sí	Nov 15, 1982	Successor to former Yugoslavia treaty
Czech Republic	No	Sí	Jan 1, 1993	—
Denmark	Sí	Sí	Jul 30, 1961 (E-1); Dec 10, 2008 (E-2)	Does not apply to Greenland
Ecuador	No	Limited	May 11, 1997	E-2 limited to investments made before May 18, 2018
Egypt	No	Sí	Jun 27, 1992	—
Estonia	Sí	Sí	May 22, 1926 (E-1); Feb 16, 1997 (E-2)	—
Ethiopia	Sí	Sí	Oct 8, 1953	—
Finland	Sí	Sí	Aug 10, 1934 (E-1); Dec 1, 1992 (E-2)	—
France	Sí	Sí	Dec 21, 1960	Applies to Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion
Georgia	No	Sí	Aug 17, 1997	—
Germany	Sí	Sí	Jul 14, 1956	—
Greece	Sí	No	Oct 13, 1954	—
Granada	No	Sí	Mar 3, 1989	—
Honduras	Sí	Sí	Jul 19, 1928	—
Ireland	Sí	Sí	Sep 14, 1950 (E-1); Nov 18, 1992 (E-2)	—
Israel	Sí	Sí	Apr 3, 1954 (E-1); May 1, 2019 (E-2)	E-2 added via Public Law 112-130 (2012)
Italy	Sí	Sí	Jul 26, 1949	—
Jamaica	No	Sí	Mar 7, 1997	—
Japan	Sí	Sí	Oct 30, 1953	Extended to Bonin Islands (1968), Ryukyu Islands (1972)
Jordan	Sí	Sí	Dec 17, 2001	—
Kazakhstan	No	Sí	Jan 12, 1994	—
Korea (South)	Sí	Sí	Nov 7, 1957	—
Kosovo	Sí	Sí	Nov 15, 1882	Successor to former Yugoslavia treaty
Kyrgyzstan	No	Sí	Jan 12, 1994	—
Latvia	Sí	Sí	Jul 25, 1928 (E-1); Dec 26, 1996 (E-2)	—
Liberia	Sí	Sí	Nov 21, 1939	—
Lithuania	No	Sí	Nov 22, 2001	—
Luxembourg	Sí	Sí	Mar 28, 1963	—
North Macedonia	Sí	Sí	Nov 15, 1982	Successor to former Yugoslavia treaty
México	Sí	Sí	Jan 1, 1994	—
Moldova	No	Sí	Nov 25, 1994	—
Mongolia	No	Sí	Jan 1, 1997	—
Montenegro	Sí	Sí	Nov 15, 1882	Successor to former Yugoslavia treaty
Morocco	No	Sí	May 29, 1991	—
Netherlands	Sí	Sí	Dec 5, 1957	Applicable to Aruba
New Zealand	Sí	Sí	Jun 10, 2019	Added via Public Law 115-226 (2018)
Norway	Sí	Sí	Jan 18, 1928	Does not apply to Svalbard
Oman	Sí	Sí	Jun 11, 1960	—
Pakistan	Sí	Sí	Feb 12, 1961	—
Panama	No	Sí	May 30, 1991	—
Paraguay	Sí	Sí	Mar 7, 1860	—
Philippines	Sí	Sí	Sep 6, 1955	—
Poland	Sí	Sí	Aug 6, 1994	—
Portugal	Sí	Sí	Mar 15, 2024	Added via Public Law 117-263 (2022)
Romania	No	Sí	Jan 15, 1994	—
Senegal	No	Sí	Oct 25, 1990	—
Serbia	Sí	Sí	Nov 15, 1882	Successor to former Yugoslavia treaty
Singapur	Sí	Sí	Jan 1, 2004	—
Slovak Republic	No	Sí	Jan 1, 1993	—
Slovenia	Sí	Sí	Nov 15, 1982	Successor to former Yugoslavia treaty
Spain	Sí	Sí	Apr 14, 1903	Applicable to all territories
Sri Lanka	No	Sí	May 1, 1993	—
Suriname	Sí	Sí	Feb 10, 1963	—
Sweden	Sí	Sí	Feb 20, 1992	—
Switzerland	Sí	Sí	Nov 8, 1855	—
Thailand	Sí	Sí	Jun 8, 1968	—
Togo	Sí	Sí	Feb 5, 1967	—
Trinidad & Tobago	No	Sí	Dec 26, 1996	—
Tunisia	No	Sí	Feb 7, 1993	—
Turkey	Sí	Sí	Feb 15, 1933 (E-1); May 18, 1990 (E-2)	—
Ukraine	No	Sí	Nov 16, 1996	—
Reino Unido	Sí	Sí	Jul 3, 1815	British Isles, Channel Islands, Gibraltar only — other Commonwealth nationals do not qualify

Source: U.S. Department of State, Treaty Countries. Treaty status can change through new legislation — always verify current status before filing.

Your Country Only Qualifies for E-2 – What That Means

Roughly 30 countries on this list have an E-2 investor treaty but no E-1 trader treaty. If your nationality falls in this group, the trading business model behind the E-1 isn’t available to you, but the E-2 investment path may still be. The core difference: E-1 is built around ongoing trade volume, while E-2 is built around committing capital to a U.S. business you actively direct.

Your Country Isn’t Listed at All

A missing country doesn’t automatically close every door. A few scenarios worth a direct conversation with an attorney:

• Dual nationality: if you hold citizenship in a treaty country in addition to your primary passport, that second nationality may qualify you.
• Ownership restructuring: if your company is majority-owned by nationals of a treaty country, the business itself may still qualify even if your personal passport isn’t listed.
• Treaty changes: bilateral agreements are periodically added or updated, Portugal (2024) and New Zealand (2019) are recent examples. What isn’t possible today may change.

Preguntas FrecuentesPreguntas Frecuentes

Can my country have E-2 but not E-1, or vice versa?

Yes. Brunei and Greece, for example, have E-1 treaties but no E-2. Most other countries with only one classification have E-2 but not E-1: Albania, Ukraine, and Panama are examples. Each treaty was negotiated separately.

Is treaty status permanent once granted?

No. Status can change through new legislation or diplomatic agreements. Bolivia and Ecuador, for instance, now have E-2 access limited to investments made before specific cutoff dates rather than open eligibility.

Can a dual citizen use either nationality to qualify?

Yes. If you hold citizenship in a treaty country, you can generally use that nationality even if your other citizenship isn’t on the list.

Does my company need to be based in a treaty country?

Not necessarily. What matters most is that the company is majority-owned by nationals of a treaty country and conducts substantial trade with (E-1) or invests capital in (E-2) the United States. Full detail in our main E-1 guide.

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