What is the Visa Waiver Program?
The Visa Waiver Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and enables eligible citizens or nationals of designated countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa.
Which countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program
Citizens or nationals of the following countries are currently eligible to travel to the United States under the VWP:
Andorra |
Iceland |
Norway |
Australia |
Ireland |
Portugal |
Austria |
Italy |
San Marino |
Belgium |
Japan |
Singapore |
Brunei |
Republic of Korea |
Slovakia |
Chile |
Latvia |
Slovenia |
Czech Republic |
Liechtenstein |
Spain |
Denmark |
Lithuania |
Sweden |
Estonia |
Luxembourg |
Switzerland |
Finland |
Malta |
Taiwan |
France |
Monaco |
United Kingdom* |
Germany |
The Netherlands |
|
Greece |
New Zealand |
|
Hungary |
|
What are the passport requirements to travel under the Visa Waiver Program?
Travel under the Visa Waiver Program is restricted to travelers possessing passports with specified security features. All VWP travelers must have a machine-readable passport. Depending on when and where the a travelers’ passports were issued, other passport requirements may apply.
What is the Electronic System for Travel Authorization?
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system that assists in determining eligibility to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or security risk. Upon completion of an ESTA application, a traveler is then notified of his or her eligibility to travel to the United States under the VWP.