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Visa Waiver Program

Countries Eligible for the Visa Waiver Program
Biometric passports/Machine Readable passports
ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)
What to do if travel not authorized through ESTA

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows travelers from certain countries to enter the United States for a short period for tourism or business without a visa. Not all countries participate in the VWP, and not all travelers from VWP countries are eligible to use the program.

Travelers are generally eligible to enter the United States on the Visa Waiver Program if:

They have a passport that meets the requirement (link to Biometric passports/Machine Readable passports below) from an eligible country;
The purpose of travel to the United States is tourism or business;
They will stay less than 90 days in the United States;
They have not previously been found ineligible for a visa;
They do not have a criminal record or other condition making them ineligible for a visa;
They possess a return ticket; and
They enter and exit the United States on the passport from the country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, not the Israeli passport.

Travelers that do not meet these requirements must apply for a visa to enter the United States.

Countries Eligible for the Visa Waiver Program

Bearers of a valid Machine Readable passport from the following countries are eligible to travel to the United States on the Visa Waiver Program:

*Andorra*	Germany****	*Luxembourg*	*Slovenia*
*Australia*	*Great Britain**	Malta***	South Korea***
*Austria*	Hungary***	*Monaco*	*Spain*
*Belgium*	*Iceland*	*New Zealand*	*Sweden*
Brunei**	*Ireland*	*the Netherlands*	*Switzerland*
*Czech Republic*	*Italy*	*Norway*
*Denmark*	*Japan*	*Portugal*
Estonia***	Latvia***	*San Marino*
*Finland*	*Liechtenstein*	*Singapore*
*France*	Lithuania***	Slovakia***

*Only British citizens and British subjects who have “right of abode” qualify for the visa waiver program.

** Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended stay.

*** E-passports (electronic passports) only (nationals of these countries must have an E-passport regardless of the date of the issuance).

**** German emergency and temporary passports will no longer be accepted for travel under the Visa Waiver Program.

Note: While Canada is not included in the Visa Waiver Program, citizens of Canada generally do not need a visa to the United States for short trips of tourism or business. For more information, follow this link to the U.S. Embassy in Canada.
For further information, you may visit the following website: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/business_pleasure/vwp/vwp.xml

Biometric passports/Machine Readable passports

Aliens traveling under the Visa Waiver Passport must possess a biometric passport, also known as e-passport, containing an integrated chip with information from the data page except in the following cases:

-If you hold a machine readable issued prior to October 26, 2005, you may use it for travel.

-If you hold a passport issued between October 26, 2005 and October 25, 2006, and the Machine Readable Passport a digital photograph printed on the data page, you may also use it for travel.

-All passports issued after October 26, 2006 must contain an integrated chip.

ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)

ESTA is a new fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the United States, and VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for authorization as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United States.

An approved travel authorization via ESTA is:

- Required for all VWP travelers prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. under the VWP beginning January 12, 2009;
- Valid, unless revoked, for up to two years or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever comes first;
- Valid for multiple entries into the U.S. As future trips are planned, or if an applicant’s destination addresses or itineraries change after their authorization has been approved, they may easily update that information through the ESTA Web site; and
- Not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorizes a traveler to board a carrier for travel to the U.S. under the VWP. (For additional information, please visit "For International Visitors" at www.CBP.gov/travel.

How the Electronic System for Travel Authorization Works

Log onto the ESTA Web site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov in order to receive more information and complete an on-line application. The website is available in 14 languages. Travelers are encouraged to apply early. The web-based system will prompt you to answer basic biographical and eligibility questions typically requested on a paper I-94W form.

What to do if travel not authorized through ESTA

If you have received a response to your ESTA request not authorizing your travel and requiring you to contact the Embassy, you should schedule an emergency appointment through line at http://VisaInfo.US-Visaservices.com or by contacting the call center at 180-931-5642. If the appointment date does not suit your travel plans, you can put forward an emergency request.