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: Visto E-1 per commercianti: chi si qualifica e come ottenerlo.

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

Domande frequenti

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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