International trips made by the heads of state and heads of government to the United States have become a valuable part of American diplomacy and international relations since such trips were first made in the mid-19th century. They are complicated undertakings that often require months of planning along with a great deal of coordination and communication.

The first international visit to the United States was made by King Kalakaua of Hawaii in 1874, which was the first visit by a foreign chief of state or head of government.Visits By Foreign Leaders of Hawaii U.S.Department of State Office of the Historian

The first African head of state to visit the United States was President Edwin Barclay of Liberia in 1943.

Algeria

+ Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Algeria U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonAhmed Ben BellaPresidentInformal visit to Washington D.C. while attending the United Nations General Assembly session. First foreign leader to receive a welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.Houari BoumediennePrivate visit to Washington, D.C. while attending the U.N. General Assembly session.Chadli BendjedidState visit; visited Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Francisco.Abdelaziz BouteflikaWorking visitMet with President Bush during a private visit.Met with President Bush during the 30th G8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia.Attended the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Abdelmalek SellalPrime MinisterAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.Attended the Nuclear Security Summit.Aymen BenabderrahmaneAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.Abdelmadjid TebbounePresidentAttended the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

Angola + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Angola U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonJosé Eduardo dos SantosPresidentMet with President Bush during a private visit.Official working visitWorking visitWorking visitJoão Manuel Gonçalves LourençoAttended the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Met with President Biden marks the 30th anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations between Angola and the United States.Attended the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Working Visit.

Benin

+ Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Benin U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonÉmile ZinsouPresidentPrivate visitHubert MagaChairmanAttended dinner celebrating the 25th anniversary of the United Nations at the White House.Private visitNicephore SogloPresidentOfficial visitOfficial working visitThomas Boni YayiWorking visit. Attended a summit at the White House addressing malaria.Attended the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Working visit. Attended a summit at the White House addressing democratic progresses in West Africa with U.S. President Barack Obama, Guinean President Alpha Condé, Ivoirian President Alassane Ouattara and Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou.Attended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit.Lionel ZinsouPrime MinisterAttended the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Patrice TalonPresidentAttended the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Working visit, meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.Attended the United States-Africa Leaders Summit 2022.

Botswana

+ Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Botswana U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonSeretse KhamaPresidentConsultations with IBRD; attended Eisenhower funeral; met with President Nixon March 31.Private visit.Quett MasireOfficial working visit. Private visit to New York City afterwards.Met with President Bush during a private visit.Attended Africare dinner with President Clinton.Festus MogaeWorking visit.Working visit. Discussed African Growth and Opportunity Act.Ian KhamaWorking Visit.Mokgweetsi MasisiAttended the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly and visited the Florida State University, his alma mater.Working visit.Attended the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended United States-Africa Leaders Summit 2022.Attended the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Working Visit.

Burkina Faso

+ Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Burkina Faso U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonMaurice YaméogoPresidentState visit. Also visited Williamsburg, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Springfield, and New York City.Sangoule LamizanaAttended dinner on the 25th anniversary of the United Nations at the White House.Private visit; met with President Nixon at the White House to discuss the drought in West Africa. Blaise CompaoréWorking visitAttended the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit.Michel KafandoPresident of the Transitional CouncilAttended the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Roch Marc Christian KaboréPresidentAttended the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Burundi + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Burundi U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonMwambutsa IVKingPrivate visit; dedicated African Pavilion at the New York World's Fair.Pierre BuyoyaPresidentMet with President Clinton during a private visit after the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.Pierre NkurunzizaAttended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit. Met with Secretary of State John Kerry.Évariste NdayishimiyeAttended the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit 2022. Attended the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Cameroon + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Cameroon U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonAhmadou AhidjoPresidentPresidential guest. Afterwards visited New York City.Informal visit; visited New York City and Pittsburgh.Private visitOfficial working visit. Private visit to Gainesville, Florida afterwards.Paul BiyaOfficial working visit. Private visit to Los Angeles afterwards.Private visit; met with President Bush.Working visitPrime MinisterAttended United States-Africa Business Summit on June 24–27; met with President George W. Bush during a private visit on June 26.PresidentAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.Attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.

Cape Verde + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Cape Verde U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonAristides Maria PereiraPresidentPrivate visit; met with President Reagan on October 3.Carlos VeigaPrime MinisterMet with President Bush while attending a United Nations Security Council summit in New York City.José Maria NevesAttended the African Leaders Summit.Jorge Carlos FonsecaPresidentAttended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit.

Central African Republic + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Central African Republic U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonAnge-Félix PatasséPresidentAttended Africare dinner with President Clinton.Faustin-Archange TouadéraAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.

Chad + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Chad U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonFrançois TombalbayePresidentOfficial visit; visited San Antonio, Lubbock, Cape Kennedy, and New York City.Attended a dinner at the White House celebrating the 25th anniversary of the United Nations.Hissène HabréOfficial working visitIdriss DébyAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.Mahamat DébyAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.

Comoros

+ Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Comoros U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonIkililou DhoininePresidentAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.Azali AssoumaniAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.

Congo (Democratic Republic of) (Zaire)

+ Table of tripsDemocratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonPatrice LumumbaPrime MinisterMet with Secretary of State Christian Herter and United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld.Cyrille AdoulaInformal visit. Afterwards visited New York City.Mobutu Sese SekoPresidentOfficial visit; visited Annapolis, New York City, Fort Bragg, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.Private visit; met with President Nixon at the White House.Private visit; attended an International Monetary Fund meeting. Also met with President Jimmy Carter on September 11.Private visit; met with President Reagan on December 1.Official working visit Private visit; met with President Reagan at a U.N. General Assembly reception in New York City.Official working visitOfficial working visitMet with President Bush during a private visit.Joseph KabilaMet with President Bush at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.Working visit; met with President Bush at the Oval Office.Working visitAttended the United Nations General Assembly.Attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit. Met with Secretary of State John Kerry.Felix TshisekediAttended the United Nations General AssemblyAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.

Congo (Republic of) (Brazzaville) + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonFulbert YoulouPresidentInformal visit. Afterwards visited New York City.Denis Sassou-NguessoState visit. Private visit to Houston afterwards.André MilongoPrime MinisterPrivate visit. Met with President Bush on December 13. Also visited Atlanta.Denis Sassou NguessoPresidentAttended the United States-Africa Business Summit. Met with President Bush during a private visit on June 26.Working visitAttended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.Attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.

Djibouti + Table of tripsVisits By Foreign Leaders of Djibouti U.S.Department of State Office of the HistorianDatesGuestTitleReasonHassan Gouled AptidonPresidentPrivate visitOfficial working visitIsmaïl Omar GuellehMet with President Clinton during a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.Working visitMet with President Obama at the Oval Office.Attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.Attended the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.

Egypt