Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
travel.state.gov
VisaWaiverProgram
U.S.Passports&
InternationalTravel
StudentsAbroad
U.S.Visa
IntercountryAdoption
InternationalParental
ChildAbduction
ContactUs
SetLocation
FindU.S.Embassies
&Consulates
SetNationality
travel.state.gov>Visas>Tourism&Visit>VisaWaiverProgram
VisaWaiverProgram
ExpandAll
ImportantNotice
Overview
TheVisaWaiverProgram (VWP)enablesmostcitizensornationalsofparticipatingcountries*totraveltotheUnitedStatesfor
tourismorbusinessforstaysof90daysorlesswithoutfirstobtainingavisa,whentheymeetallrequirementsexplainedbelow.
TravelersmusthaveavalidElectronicSystemforTravelAuthorization(ESTA)approvalpriortotravel.Ifyouprefertohaveavisa
inyourpassport,youmaystillapplyforavisitor(B)visa.
RequirementsforUsingtheVisaWaiverProgram(VWP)
YoumustmeetallofthefollowingrequirementstotraveltotheUnitedStatesontheVWP:
ExpandAll
TravelPurposeMustbePermittedonaVisitor(B)Visa
Business:
Tourism:
TravelPurposesNotPermittedonVisaWaiverProgram
Examples:
CitizenorNationalofVWPDesignatedCountry*
Citizensornationalsofthefollowingcountries*arecurrentlyeligibletotraveltotheUnitedStatesundertheVWP,unlesscitizens
ofoneofthesecountriesarealsoanationalofIraq,Iran,Syria,orSudan.
Andorra
Hungary
Norway
Australia
Iceland
Portugal
Austria
Ireland
SanMarino
Belgium
Italy
Singapore
Brunei
Japan
Slovakia
Chile
Latvia
Slovenia
CzechRepublic
Liechtenstein
SouthKorea
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visawaiverprogram.html#ESTA
1/4
11/13/2016
VisaWaiverProgram
Denmark
Lithuania
Spain
Estonia
Luxembourg
Sweden
Finland
Malta
Switzerland
France
Monaco
Taiwan*
Germany
Netherlands
UnitedKingdom**
Greece
NewZealand
**TobeeligibletotravelundertheVWP,BritishcitizensmusthavetheunrestrictedrightofpermanentabodeinEngland,
Scotland,Wales,NorthernIreland,theChannelIslands,andtheIsleofMan.
EachTravelerMustHaveAuthorizationUnderESTA
InordertotravelwithoutavisaontheVWP,youmusthaveauthorizationthroughtheElectronicSystemforTravelAuthorization
(ESTA)priortoboardingaU.S.boundairorseacarrier.ESTAistheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity(DHS),Customsand
BorderProtection's(CBP)automatedwebbasedsystemtodetermineeligibilitytotravelwithoutavisatotheUnitedStatesfor
tourismorbusiness.VisittheESTAwebpage ontheCBPwebsiteformoreinformation.
VisaWaiverProgramImprovementandTerroristTravelPreventionActof2015
UndertheVisaWaiverProgramImprovementandTerroristTravelPreventionActof2015,travelersinthefollowingcategoriesare
nolongereligibletotravelorbeadmittedtotheUnitedStatesundertheVisaWaiverProgram(VWP):
NationalsofVWPcountrieswhohavetraveledtoorbeenpresentinIran,Iraq,Libya,Somalia,Sudan,Syria,orYemenonorafter
March1,2011(withlimitedexceptionsfortravelfordiplomaticormilitarypurposesintheserviceofaVWPcountry).
NationalsofVWPcountrieswhoarealsonationalsofIran,Iraq,Sudan,orSyria.
TheseindividualswillstillbeabletoapplyforavisausingtheregularappointmentprocessataU.S.EmbassyorConsulate.For
thosewhorequireaU.S.visaforurgentbusiness,medical,orhumanitariantraveltotheUnitedStates,U.S.Embassiesand
Consulatesstandreadytohandleapplicationsonanexpeditedbasis.
IfanindividualwhoisexemptfromtheActbecauseofhisorherdiplomaticormilitarypresenceinoneofthefourcountrieshas
hisorherESTAdenied,heorshemaygototheCBPwebsite ,orcontacttheCBPinformationCenter .Thetravelermayalso
applyforanonimmigrantvisaataU.S.EmbassyorConsulate.
Certainothertravelerswhofallunderthisrestrictionmayqualifyforawaiveroftherequirements.Moreinformationabout
possiblewaiversisforthcoming.
U.S.CustomsandBorderProtectionstronglyrecommendsthatanytravelertotheUnitedStatescheckhisorherESTAstatus
priortomakinganytravelreservationsortravellingtotheUnitedStates.MoreinformationisavailableontheDHSwebsite .
HavetheCorrectTypeofPassport
Youmusthaveapassportthatisvalidforatleast6monthsafteryourplanneddeparturefromtheUnitedStates(unless
exemptedbycountryspecificagreements ).Forfamilies,eachmemberofyourfamily,includinginfantsandchildren,musthave
his/herownpassport.
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visawaiverprogram.html#ESTA
2/4
11/13/2016
VisaWaiverProgram
Inaddition,asofApril1,2016,youmusthaveanepassporttousetheVWP.AnePassportisanenhancedsecurepassportwith
anembeddedelectronicchip.Thechipcanbescannedtomatchtheidentityofthetravelertothepassport.EPassportsare
issuedbytheproperpassportissuingauthorityandmustbeincompliancewithstandardssetbytheInternationalCivilAviation
Organization(ICAO).YoucanreadilyidentifyanePassport,becauseithasauniqueinternationalsymbolonthecover.More
aboutePassportsisavailableontheDHSwebsite .Seetheexamplebelow:
EmergencyandTemporaryPassports
IfyouuseanemergencyortemporarypassporttoentertheUnitedStatesontheVWP,thepassportmustbeanePassport.This
includesVWPtravelerswhoaretransitingtheUnitedStates.
MoreinformationonfrequentlyaskedquestionsaboutVWPcanbefoundatthefollowingwebsites:
DHSVisaWaiverProgramRequirements
CBPVisaWaiverProgram
CBPESTA
ExpandAll
MayIapplyforavisainsteadofusingtheVWP?
TravelerswhoareeligiblefortheVWPmayapplyforavisitor(B)visa,iftheyprefertodoso.Ifyoudonotmeetallofthe
criteriaexplainedinthiswebpage,thenyoumustapplyforavisa.Additionally,youneedtoapplyforavisaifyouwillbetraveling
onaprivateaircraftorothernonVWPapprovedairorseacarrier.Reviewtheapprovedcarrierslist .Also,ifyouintendtoextend
yourstaybeyond90daysorchangeyourstatusonceintheUnitedStates(forexample,youintendtorequestchangeofstatusto
studentortemporaryworker,etc.),thenyouneedtoapplyforavisa.
Iwasdeniedavisaundersection214(b).MayIusetheVWP?
TripstoCanada,Mexico,ornearbyIslands
Howcanacountry*jointheVWP?
EnteringtheUnitedStates
ExtendingYourStay
ChangeofStatus
Reference
*Withrespecttoallreferencestocountryorcountriesonthispage,itshouldbenotedthattheTaiwanRelationsActof1979,
Pub.L.No.968,Section4(b)(1),providesthat[w]heneverthelawsoftheUnitedStatesreferorrelatetoforeigncountries,
nations,states,governments,orsimilarentities,suchtermsshallincludeandsuchlawsshallapplywithrespecttoTaiwan.22
U.S.C.3303(b)(1).Accordingly,allreferencestocountryorcountriesintheVisaWaiverProgramauthorizinglegislation,
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visawaiverprogram.html#ESTA
3/4
11/13/2016
VisaWaiverProgram
Section217oftheImmigrationandNationalityAct,8U.S.C.1187,arereadtoincludeTaiwan.ThisisconsistentwiththeUnited
StatesoneChinapolicy,underwhichtheUnitedStateshasmaintainedunofficialrelationswithTaiwansince1979.
MoreInformation
AZIndex
Lost/StolenTravelDocuments
BorderSecurity/SafetyDHS
CustomerServiceStatement
FAQs:AboutVisas
theBasics
ESTA
APPLICATION
AboutUs
STAYCONNECTED
FindaU.S.Embassyor
Consulate
VisaNewsroom
DipnoteBlog
@travelgov
Careers
Youtube
ConsularNotificationandAccess
Flickr
RSS
ContactUs
ReportsandStatistics
LawandPolicy
U.S.Passports&
InternationalTravel
travel.state.gov
Privacy
Copyright&Disclaimer
StudentsAbroad
FOIA
NoFEARActData
U.S.Visa
OfficeoftheInspectorGeneral
IntercountryAdoption
USA.gov
InternationalParental
ChildAbduction
GobiernoUSA.gov
ThissiteismanagedbytheBureauofConsularAffairs,U.S.DepartmentofState.
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visawaiverprogram.html#ESTA
4/4