If you have a criminal record in the United States, you may be curious about the countries that felons can travel to. This is because there are a handful of countries that don’t allow you to travel to them if you have a criminal record. You’ll also find that some countries don’t allow you to apply for a visa or live there with a criminal record, even if you’re allowed to visit.
So, what counties can felons travel to? Well, in this guide it’s our job to answer that question. Read on to find the answers you’re looking for below.
What Countries Can Felons Travel To? A few Options
There aren’t many countries that felons can travel to without facing restrictions. While this may be the case, that doesn’t mean you don’t have any options if you have a felony on your record. For example, if you’re a United States citizen, entry into Mexico with a felony might not be too bad.
Learn about some countries you can visit with a criminal record below.
1. Mexico
If you live in the United States and want to visit a country with a criminal record, Mexico is a good option. There are some exceptions, of course, like a history of violent or sexual crimes, but Mexico is pretty relaxed with non-violent felonies that happened a long time ago. That said, you may need to disclose that you have a criminal record, so keep this in mind before you travel.
2. Thailand
Another great travel destination is Thailand. If you want to see some parts of Asia, you’ll find that Thailand doesn’t ask you about your history of criminal records or cases. For this reason, you shouldn’t have any issues traveling to the country. Just make sure you have permission to leave the United States before you decide to travel to Thailand.
3. The Schengen Region of Europe
Now, if you want to go to Europe but got discouraged by the fact that you may not be able to visit France or Spain, there are still many countries in Europe that permit those with a criminal record to visit. Some great countries to visit in this region include Austria, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Estonia. Of course, this is only a handful of them, and you can travel freely between them once you arrive at your destination.
4. The Caribbean Islands
If you want to travel somewhere tropical, you can’t go wrong with the Caribbean Islands. You’ll find that this region is a perfect place to escape for the winter, and to explore beautiful new landscapes. When it comes to traveling to the Caribbean Islands, you’ll find that most of them won’t ask about your criminal history. This makes regions like Barbados, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia good travel destinations for felons.
What Countries Can’t Felons Travel To?
Now, we’ve covered some of the countries that felons can travel to, but what about the countries that felons can’t travel to? If you want to avoid running into any problems with customs, you’ll want to avoid a few countries.
Some of the countries that will give you the most problems include:
- Canada
- China
- Japan
- New Zealand
- The Bahamas
- The United Kingdom
- Australia
It’s important to note that this list is not exhaustive. In fact, you’ll find that there are dozens of countries that have travel restrictions on felons. Therefore, always make sure you check with local laws before you consider traveling.
What Countries Can Felons Travel To? Our Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, many countries still open their doors to welcome people with criminal histories. There are certainly distinctions between the type of conviction that will play a factor in whether you are approved or not, and this information can be found in the specific country’s travel laws and restrictions. Likely, you’ll have the best chances of gaining entry into Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Eastern Europe, and Thailand. As you can see, you can still travel the world, but you may have some limitations in place.
Regardless of where you plan on going, we always recommend checking your criminal record before you visit. This prevents any issues from happening at customs, and sometimes you may have opportunities to travel to other regions if your record was sealed or expunged. Therefore, there’s never any harm in using a criminal record search tool to check your criminal record before you travel.
