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Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
 

Electronic System of Travel Authorization (ESTA)

All VWP travelers who plan to enter the United States under VWP must first apply for and obtain approval before being allowed to board a carrier for air or sea travel to the United States.

Applications can be made via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which is available online. VWP travelers who have not obtained approval through ESTA should expect to be denied boarding on any carrier bound for the United States. The requirement to obtain approval through ESTA is in effect regardless of the origin of the vessel.

Passport holders from the initial 27 VWP countries are eligible to use the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

Passport holders from the following countries are eligible to use the Visa Waiver Program , provided they possess a biometric passport containing an integrated chip (e-passport): Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Republic of Korea, Slovak Republic, Malta and Greece.

Who can use the Visa Waiver Program?

Citizens of designated countries, including British citizens with right-of-abode, may apply for entry to the United States without a visa for periods of less than 90 days for business or holiday travel with no possibility of an extension. Visitors may arrive at sea or air borders of the United States aboard a participating commercial carrier. Application forms are available at the port of entry or from a participating airline or cruise company. Visa-free entry by car or other carrier is also possible. Visitors who wish to use the Visa Waiver Program must have machine-readable passports.

Visa Waiver Program Passport Requirements

Visa waiver travelers from the initial 27 countries must meet the following passport requirements:

  • If the machine-readable passport was issued or renewed/extended before October 26, 2005--no further requirements are in effect.
  • If the machine-readable passport was issued or renewed/extended between October 26, 2005 and October 25, 2006--a digital photograph must be printed on the biographic data page of the passport OR the passport must have an integrated chip with information from the data page on the passport (e-passport). If the passport has neither, the traveler is required to obtain a U.S. visa.
  • If the machine-readable passport was issued or renewed/extended on or after October 26, 2006--the passport must include an integrated chip with information from the data page on the passport (e-passport).
  • Emergency and temporary passports are subject to the e-passport requirement. Bearers of non-electronic emergency and temporary passports issued after October 26, 2006 by VWP countries will be required to apply for a U.S. visa.
  • Official and diplomatic passports are exempted from biometric digital photo and chip requirements, but must be machine-readable.

Visa waiver travelers from all other participating countries MUST possess a biometric passport containing an integrated chip with information from the data page on the passport (e-passport).

Electronic System of Travel Authorization (ESTA) Required

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) administers the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Enrollment in ESTA is mandatory for ALL VWP participants. If you have a visa to visit the United States, or a Canadian passport, this message does not apply to you. The ESTA applies only to Visa Waiver Program participants. For information about ESTA, please see ESTA webpage and Frequently Asked Questions about the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

If you are from a country that participates in the VWP, and are unsure – for any reason – whether you are qualified to use the VWP you should submit an ESTA application. The online application will alert you if you are not qualified to use the VWP.

If an ESTA application is denied and the traveler wishes to continue with the trip, the traveler will be required to apply for a nonimmigrant visa. All nonimmigrant visa applicants must go through the same process. Nonimmigrant visa applications are processed by appointment only. Please see "How Do I Apply?" for complete visa application instructions.

Beginning September 8, 2010, all VWP participants will be required to pay operational and travel promotion fees when applying for an ESTA.

All payments for electronic travel authorization applications must be made by credit card or debit card when applying for or renewing an ESTA. The ESTA system currently accepts only the following credit/debit cards: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and Discover. Your application will not be submitted for processing until all payment information is received.

The total fee for a new or renewed ESTA will be $14.00. The fee is comprised of two parts:

  • Processing Charge -- All applicants requesting an electronic travel authorization are charged for the processing of the application. The fee is $4.00.
  • Authorization charge -- If your application is approved and you receive authorization to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, an additional $10.00 will be charged to your credit card. If your electronic travel authorization is denied, you are only charged for the processing of your application.

Please see DHS, CBP Announce Interim Final Rule For ESTA Fee for more information about ESTA fee.

Frequently Asked Questions about ESTA Fee:

Q. What is the new fee charged to travelers?

A. It is $14.00. Since the implementation of ESTA, DHS has had discretion to charge a fee to cover administrative costs. DHA determined that cost to be $4.00 per registration. The Travel Promotion Act (TPA) fee adds an additional $10.00.

Q. When will the fee go into effect?

A. ESTA registrations on or after September 8, 2010, will be subject to the fee.

Q. How do travelers pay the fee?

A. At this time, payment is required through the following credit cards: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. Payments can also be made with a debit card that holds the Visa or Mastercard symbol. Please check with your bank on the compatibility of your debit card. We are continuing to explore other payment measures. The ESTA registration form already in use will walk users through the payment process.

Q. What types of privacy protection exist on the website?

A. "Pay.gov" uses advanced encryption to protect transactions while applicants are logged in. When accessing a profile, any account numbers entered will be masked on-screen.

Q. How long are ESTA approvals valid?

A. Each approved ESTA application will be valid for a period of two years unless the traveler's passport expires sooner. It allows for multiple visits to the United States within that application.

Q. If I have a valid ESTA, will I have to re-register when the new fees go into effect?

A. No, existing ESTA registrations remain valid for travel through their expiration date.

Q. Is ESTA approval like a visa?

A. An ESTA approval is not a visa under U.S. law, nor does it confer the same benefits as a visa.

Q. Will this attract more international visitors to the United States? 

A. Oxford Economics, a leading economic forecasting consultancy, estimates that the TPA program will generate $4 billion in new visitor spending, and lead to the creation of 40,000 new jobs.

Q. Why do VWP countries have to fund this travel promotion program through ESTA fees?

A. Some countries fund tourism promotion through airline or hotel taxes. The Travel Promotion Act legislation specified that the U.S. government fund this program through a $10 fee added to ESTA registration.

Conditions of the Visa Waiver Program

To use the program, visitors must waive all rights to review or appeal decisions made by an immigration officer and all rights to contest action in deportation, except for asylum. VWP participants are not eligible to study, work or change visa status after they enter the United States. Applicants with certain visa ineligibilities, such as carriers of communicable diseases, narcotics addicts or traffickers, convicted criminals, or deportees from the United States, cannot apply for the Visa Waiver Program. Visitors who have previously been found ineligible for a U.S. visa are similarly ineligible for the program.

Requirements for Entry Into the United States

Visitors arriving by air or sea must have an onward ticket for travel on a participating airline or cruise ship. Nearly 300 commercial carriers currently participate in the program including all major Hong Kong carriers. Visitors arriving at land border ports-of-entry must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to ensure they will not become a public charge and that have a home abroad to which they intend to return.

To learn more about the Visa Waiver Program, machine-readable passport and e-Passport, please see Visa Waiver Program (VWP) on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

Please see "How Do I Apply?" to go back to the application instructions.

 

Last modified: August 13, 2010

Immigration and travel