McDonald’s first opened a restaurant outside the United States in 1967.
The international expansion began in Canada, where the first restaurant outside the United States opened in Richmond, British Columbia, on June 3, 1967. The Canadian operation was developed by George Cohon, who became a major figure in bringing McDonald’s to the country and later expanding its presence nationally.
The same year, McDonald’s also entered Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, but Canada is generally recognized as the first location outside the United States. That distinction explains why 1967 is the canonical answer even though several international openings followed quickly.
McDonald’s overseas growth accelerated in the early 1970s. The chain opened its first restaurants in Europe, Asia, and Oceania in 1971: in Zaandam in the Netherlands, Tokyo in Japan, and Yagoona in Australia. Costa Rica became the first country outside North America to receive a McDonald’s restaurant in 1970, while Brazil became the chain’s first South American market in 1979.