Passport Requirements for Czech Citizens who wish to travel under the Visa Waiver Program

Biometric passport issued by Czech Republic since September 2006

• Czech citizens, including infants, wishing to travel under the Visa Waiver Program must have a biometric passport with integrated chip.
• The Czech Republic started issuing biometric passports in September 2006. Please check the issuance date of your passport.
  
• Biometric passports issued before March 31, 2009 contain a digital photograph of the holder.
  
• As of April 1, 2009, the Ministry of the Interior started issuing passports with chips that contain the holder’s biometric data, including biometric facial image and fingerprints.
  
• Travelers can use either type of biometric passport (with photo or photo and fingerprints) for the ESTA registration.
• Failure to determine that your passport qualifies for the VWP may result in you being denied boarding by the airline! The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and enables eligible citizens or nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

Citizens of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Republic of Korea and Slovakia are required to have a biometric passport for travel under the Visa Waiver Program.

Please see http://travel.state.gov or https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov for information on the passport requirements for other Visa Waiver Program countries.