US Extradition Treaty Countries & How Treaties Work
By Maryna Mkrtycheva — Senior Associate, Attorney-at-law (Cert. #001068); extradition & International Criminal Law
In short: The United States has bilateral extradition treaties with roughly 110+ countries, from Australia and the United Kingdom to Mexico, India, and most of the Americas and Europe. A treaty sets out which offenses are extraditable and how a request travels between governments, but it does not guarantee that a partner state will actually surrender a person. Treaty status changes over time — always verify the current position before relying on any list. Speak with an extradition lawyer confidentially: +357 96 447475.
Treaty relationships change; verify current status against the US State Department “Treaties in Force” before relying on this list. (Updated 2026.)
Which countries have a US extradition treaty?
The United States maintains bilateral extradition treaties with more than 110 countries, spanning nearly all of the Americas and Europe, much of the Asia-Pacific and Caribbean, and parts of Africa and the Middle East. The list below reflects the statutory notes to 18 U.S.C. §3181 and is non-exhaustive — treaty relationships are added, amended, and occasionally suspended over time.
Countries with a US bilateral extradition treaty (alphabetical):
- A–B: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma (Myanmar)
- C–D: Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo (Brazzaville), Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic
- E–G: Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, European Union (US–EU agreement), Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana
- H–K: Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo
- L–M: Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco
- N–P: Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal
- R–S: Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Eswatini (Swaziland), Sweden, Switzerland
- T–Z: Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia (historical; applied to successor states), Zambia, Zimbabwe
Key fact: A treaty with the United States does not, by itself, mean a country will hand a person over. Cooperation depends on the partner state’s own law, its willingness to act, and whether the request meets treaty conditions such as dual criminality.
Speak with an extradition lawyer — confidential. Call, WhatsApp, or Telegram +357 96 447475, or request a confidential case review. To understand how a US request is fought abroad, see our guide to defending against surrender to US authorities.
How an extradition treaty works
An extradition treaty is a binding agreement between two governments that defines when and how one will surrender a person to the other for prosecution or to serve a sentence. It sets out the extraditable offenses, the documents a request must contain, the standard of proof, and the exceptions — and it operates on reciprocity, meaning each state promises the same cooperation it expects in return.
In practice, a US request follows a defined path:
- US charge and request. A US prosecutor, working through the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs (OIA), prepares a formal extradition request supported by the charging documents and evidence.
- Diplomatic transmission. The request is transmitted through diplomatic channels to the foreign government, often preceded by a provisional arrest request when there is urgency.
- Foreign legal process. The requested country reviews the request against its own extradition law and the treaty, then holds a court hearing to decide whether the person is extraditable.
- Executive decision and surrender. If the courts approve, a government minister or executive authority typically makes the final surrender decision, and the person is handed over under agreed conditions.
The mirror-image process applies when a foreign state seeks someone inside the US: the request runs to the OIA, a complaint is filed, and a federal judge holds a hearing under 18 U.S.C. §3184. Our page on fighting a foreign extradition request inside the US explains that side in detail.
Dual criminality explained
Dual criminality is the rule that a person can only be extradited for conduct that is a crime in both the requesting and the requested country. It protects individuals from being surrendered over acts that the country holding them does not treat as criminal at all.
Most modern US treaties apply a “dual criminality” standard defined by penalty — typically covering offenses punishable by more than one year of imprisonment in both states — rather than an old-style closed list of named crimes. What matters is the underlying conduct, not whether the two countries use the same label for the offense. Where the conduct would not be a crime in the requested state, or falls below the penalty threshold, dual criminality can be a decisive defense. We examine this and related arguments on our grounds to defeat extradition page.
The rule of specialty
The rule of specialty provides that a person who is extradited may generally be prosecuted only for the specific offenses for which extradition was granted — not for other crimes committed before surrender. It stops a requesting state from using a narrow, treaty-compliant request as a gateway to prosecute unrelated matters.
Specialty is a core protection written into most US treaties. If the United States later wishes to charge an extradited person with a different pre-surrender offense, it usually must go back to the surrendering country and obtain its consent — a waiver of specialty. Because the doctrine limits what can happen after surrender, it is an important consideration when assessing the true exposure of any extradition request.
Key fact: Under the rule of specialty, prosecution is normally confined to the offenses listed in the extradition request; adding charges usually requires the surrendering state’s consent.
Treaty on the books vs. real cooperation
A signed treaty and real-world cooperation are not the same thing. Several treaty partners have, at various times, declined or resisted US extradition requests, and many countries will not extradite their own nationals at all. Reading a country’s name on the treaty list is the start of the analysis, not the answer.
Two limits matter most in practice:
- Treaty partners that decline requests. Some states that have a treaty with the US — for example Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe — have at times refused to cooperate with US extradition requests, for political, diplomatic, or legal reasons.
- The own-nationals rule. Many countries refuse to extradite their own citizens as a matter of constitutional law. France, Germany, and Brazil are well-known examples; in such cases a state may prosecute the person domestically instead of surrendering them.
Treaty relationships change; verify current status against the US State Department “Treaties in Force” before relying on this list. (Updated 2026.)
Treaty vs. no treaty — does it decide your case?
Having no treaty with the United States does not guarantee safety, and having one does not guarantee surrender. Even without a treaty, a person can be reached through deportation, immigration action, an Interpol Red Notice, or ad-hoc arrangements between governments — so a “no-treaty” destination is not a reliable shield.
The absence of a treaty removes one route to surrender but leaves others open, which is why treaty status should never be treated as legal advice on its own. Our companion guide to countries that do not have a US extradition treaty sets out where treaties are missing and why that still does not mean a case is closed.
Speak with an extradition lawyer — confidential. Call, WhatsApp, or Telegram +357 96 447475, or book a confidential case review.
FAQ
How many countries have an extradition treaty with the United States?
The United States has bilateral extradition treaties with roughly 110 or more countries, listed in the statutory notes to 18 U.S.C. §3181. The list changes as treaties are added, amended, or suspended, so it should always be checked against the State Department’s current “Treaties in Force.”
Does a treaty mean a country will definitely extradite someone?
No. A treaty sets the framework, but cooperation depends on the partner state’s own law and willingness. Some treaty partners — such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe — have declined US requests at times, and many states will not surrender their own nationals.
What is dual criminality in an extradition treaty?
Dual criminality means the conduct must be a crime in both the requesting and the requested country, usually punishable by more than a year in prison. If the alleged conduct is not a crime where the person is located, extradition can be refused on that basis.
What does the rule of specialty protect against?
The rule of specialty limits prosecution to the offenses for which extradition was granted. A requesting state generally cannot add charges for other pre-surrender conduct without the surrendering country’s consent.
Can I be extradited to the US if there is no treaty with my country?
Possibly. A missing treaty removes one route, but a person may still be reached through deportation, immigration proceedings, an Interpol Red Notice, or ad-hoc government cooperation. No treaty does not mean no risk.
Where can I confirm whether a treaty is currently in force?
The authoritative source is the US Department of State’s “Treaties in Force” publication, read alongside 18 U.S.C. §3181. Because relationships change, verify the current status before relying on any list, including this one.
