Every year, millions of Americans head abroad. Some are chasing retirement dreams, others a career reset, and some just want a fresh view from a different window. The world is enormous, and passport in hand, a U.S. citizen can technically enter well over 180 countries. But here’s the thing – just because you can go somewhere doesn’t mean you’ll feel welcome when you get there.
The gap between “technically allowed” and “genuinely welcomed” is wider than most people realize. From sun-drenched Iberian coastlines to geopolitically charged capitals where American flags rarely fly without controversy, the experience of being an American abroad in 2025 and 2026 is layered, fascinating, and sometimes sobering. Let’s dive in.
1. Panama – The Gold Standard for American Expats
Panama topped the InterNations Expat Insider list as the friendliest country for expats in 2024, pushing Mexico to second place. Expats love the affordable housing, great weather, and easy visa process. That’s not a coincidence. Panama has been quietly perfecting its welcome mat for Americans for decades, and the results speak for themselves.
Nearly nine in ten expats said their income covers a comfortable life, and over four in five are happy with their overall experience. It’s also a breeze to settle in, make local friends, and enjoy a balanced lifestyle. Whether for retiring or working remotely, Panama’s welcoming vibe and laid-back charm make it a favorite destination for expats from all corners of the world.
The cost of living is much lower than in the U.S., and Panama’s quality of life and level of human development are among the highest in Central America. Healthcare is excellent, the economy is strong, and both native Panamanians and the sizable expat community are known for their welcoming natures. The official language of Panama is Spanish, and the country’s monetary system uses U.S. dollars and coins, which makes daily life far simpler for newly arrived Americans.
2. Mexico – Warm, Vibrant, and Consistent
Coming in at second place in InterNations’ 2024 rankings for friendliness toward expats, Mexico continues to win hearts with its warmth and vibrancy. Nearly nine in ten expats say they’re happy living there, thanks to friendly locals, a strong sense of welcome, and a culture that’s easy to adapt to. That kind of sustained performance is genuinely rare in global surveys.
The most popular destination for American expats, Mexico offers a low cost of living, great food, modern conveniences such as high-speed internet and reliable utilities, and a wide range of climates and lifestyles. Mexico has ranked among the top five countries in InterNations’ annual survey consistently since 2014. That is over a decade of sustained top-tier performance – a level of consistency very few destinations can match.
Mexico remains a highly popular destination for U.S. citizens moving abroad. Its proximity, rich culture, and relatively straightforward temporary and permanent residency options make Mexico an attractive choice for many American expats. Honestly, for Americans who want something close but genuinely different, Mexico is almost impossible to beat on paper.
3. Portugal – Europe’s Most American-Friendly Corner
American emigration to Portugal rose more than 50 percent in 2024, according to the Portuguese newspaper Publico. That figure made headlines and turned heads across Europe. Think of Portugal as Europe’s answer to what Americans dream about: slower pace, warmer weather, and a culture that genuinely welcomes outsiders.
U.S. citizens stayed 585,800 nights in Portugal in May 2024 alone, putting them third among all foreign visitors with a market share of over a tenth of all tourism. American spending in Portugal reached close to 700 million euros between January and April 2024, rising nearly a fifth compared to the previous year. Those are not small numbers. Americans are voting with their wallets and their feet.
Portugal ranks 7th among 163 countries on the Global Peace Index 2024, making it one of the safest and most peaceful nations in the world. The country has low crime rates and a high level of safety for residents. Many U.S. expats report feeling safer in Portugal, as concerns such as robbery or gun violence are minimal. By 2024, Portugal had issued over 2,600 digital nomad visas, with Americans topping the list.
4. Ireland – Europe’s Warmest English-Speaking Welcome
Ireland continued to attract a record number of American expats in 2025, with visa applications up 23 percent year-over-year, according to the Irish Immigration Service. There is something deeply magnetic about the Emerald Isle for Americans, and it goes well beyond the shared language or the romanticized vision of green hills and pubs.
Ireland experienced a massive surge in Americans looking to move abroad, driven in large part by the sizable Irish diaspora eager to reconnect with their roots. For those with a parent, grandparent, or even great-grandparent born in Ireland, citizenship by descent for Americans is a possibility. The Emerald Isle also appeals as an English-speaking gateway to Europe.
There is an exceptional bond between the two countries, including similar values, culture, and a common language, making Ireland one of the friendliest and easiest countries to visit. According to data released by the New Central Statistics Office, there has been a 96 percent increase in Americans moving to Ireland, with 9,600 people arriving from April 2024 to 2025. That is not a trickle. That is a wave.
5. Italy – A Cultural Love Affair That Holds Strong
Italy ranked at the very top of the European friendliness list in a 2025 study of over 22 European countries, with only about two percent of Italian respondents saying their country is unwelcoming to Americans. That figure is strikingly low, and it reflects something most seasoned travelers already know: Italians genuinely embrace visitors who show even a flicker of appreciation for their food, language, and culture.
Italy also ranked as one of the most requested destinations in the 2024 Expatsi report. According to that report’s data, the most requested countries by prospective American expats included Portugal, Spain, the UK, Canada, Italy, Ireland, France, Mexico, New Zealand, and Costa Rica. Italy sits comfortably in that upper tier, year after year.
I think what keeps Italy at the top is something harder to measure than statistics. It’s the way a stranger in a Florence café will spend twenty minutes helping you find a street. It’s the pride locals take in their regional identity that somehow makes outsiders feel included rather than excluded. The data confirms the feeling – and in travel, that alignment between data and lived experience is rare.
6. Venezuela – A Country Now Off-Limits in Every Sense
Venezuela was now under a Level 4 advisory as of December 2025, just before a U.S. military operation in January 2026 that launched airstrikes into the country and took President Nicolas Maduro and his wife into custody on narco-terrorism, drug-trafficking and weapons charges. This is a situation that has moved far beyond standard travel warnings.
Western travelers, especially Americans, face the threat of arbitrary detention in Venezuela. Travel to Venezuela is not recommended for Americans, and interested travelers should arrange for private transportation for the duration of any trips. Venezuela is not just risky by the standards of Latin America – it has one of the highest rates of violent crime, corruption, and unrest in the world.
Level 3 and Level 4 advisories constitute serious risks to travelers’ safety. Level 4 more decisively declares “do not travel,” and kidnapping, civil unrest and terrorism are some of the higher risks associated with Level 4 countries. The geopolitical situation between the U.S. and Venezuela in 2026 makes this one of the most volatile destinations on the planet for any American passport holder.
7. Russia – Hostility Baked Into Policy
Of the current Level 4 travel warnings issued by the U.S. State Department, one of the longest-running ones listed on the website was issued for Ukraine on November 11, 2024, reflecting the continued volatility across the broader Eastern European region. Russia itself carries similarly severe warnings, and the reasons are structural, not circumstantial.
For the time being, Pyongyang will likely continue to denounce U.S. imperialism alongside China and Russia while further strengthening its defense capabilities. Russia’s alignment with anti-American coalitions and its ongoing war in Ukraine have made the political atmosphere increasingly dangerous for U.S. citizens. Some of the common themes in the most dangerous places in the world for Americans are the absence of a fully functioning American embassy, high levels of crime often specifically targeted at foreigners, civil unrest, and armed conflict.
Let’s be real: Russia was already a complicated destination for Americans before 2022. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the barriers have become near-absolute. The risk of wrongful detention alone, as documented in multiple State Department advisories, is enough to make any rational traveler look elsewhere.
8. North Korea – The Most Extreme Case of All
The raid on Venezuela represents a nightmare scenario for North Korea’s leadership, which has long accused Washington of seeking to remove it from power. Pyongyang has for decades justified its nuclear and missile programs as deterrents against alleged regime change efforts by Washington. That context matters enormously for any American even contemplating a visit.
Although Trump had not explicitly threatened North Korea during his second term, Kim may now be more acutely concerned about regime survival after witnessing the speed and precision of U.S. military and intelligence capabilities. For the time being, Pyongyang will likely continue to denounce U.S. imperialism alongside China and Russia while further strengthening its defense capabilities, including its nuclear arsenal.
In 2024, the U.S. State Department advised Americans to avoid 22 countries and territories, a list that seems to grow every year. Travel advisories at Level 4 mean “Do Not Travel.” Americans who go anyway may be at increased risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, or getting caught up in civil unrest, and the U.S. government may not be able to help. North Korea sits firmly at the top of that list – and shows no signs of changing its posture toward Americans anytime soon.