Embassy of the United States

New ESTA Fee for citizens from Visa Waiver Programs (PDF - 61kb)

Attention Visa-Waiver Passport Holders!

If you hold a passport from a country that benefits from the Visa Waiver Program, please see the Electronic System for Travel Authorization Website for important information about your future travel to the United States.  Beginning January 12, 2009, all Visa Waiver travelers will be required to obtain clearance from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before departing for the United States.  ESTA is a simple process that enhances border security in the United States and facilitates quick processing of authorized passengers. 

On October 2, 2012 the United States announced Taiwan’s designation for participation in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Under the VWP, eligible Taiwan passport holders will be able to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa, if certain requirements are met. For more information, please visit the following website: http://www.ait.org.tw/en/vwp.html

Learn more:

• ESTA-PDF document in English (PDF - 197kb)
  
• ESTA-PDF document in Spanish (PDF - 188kb)
  
• ESTA-PDF document in Portuguese (PDF - 189kb)
  
• ESTA-PDF document in German (PDF - 196kb)
  

1. Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended
   before 10/26/05 - no further requirements
2. Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended
   between 10/26/05 and 10/25/06 - require a digital
   photograph integrated into the data page or integrated
   chip containing information from the data page
3. Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended
   on or after 10/26/06 - require an integrated chip with
   information from the data page

• Any traveler whose regular passport does not meet the
  biometric passport guidelines listed above must obtain a
  visa or VWP-compliant passport to travel to the United
  States under the Visa Waiver Program. Information on the
  Visa Waiver Program and how to apply for a U.S visa is available
  at http://www.travel.state.gov/ and/or http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/ or on
  our Embassy web page, asuncion.usembassy.gov.  VWP passports
  renewed or extended, whatever the circumstances, on or
  after 10/26/05 must include a digital photo (or, as of
  10/26/06, an integrated chip); otherwise, the traveler
  will need to obtain a visa or VWP-compliant passport.  For
  VWP countries which "automatically" extend all passports
  (Italy, Luxembourg and perhaps others), the same guidance
  applies (i.e. those passports extended after 10/26/05 must
  include a digital photo or, as of 10/26/06 an integrated
  chip).
• As noted in ref A, temporary, emergency, official and
  diplomatic passports are not subject to digital photo/chip
  requirements noted in para 2 at this time, but must be
  machine-readable to be valid for VWP travel.
• German temporary/emergency passports will no longer be valid
  for travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as of May 1,2006. 
  As of that date, holders of such passports must either obtain regular German passports or apply for a U.S. visa in order to travel to the United States.  Regular German passports remain valid for VWP travel.
• Visa Waiver Program (PDF - 573kb)
  
• E-Passport (PDF - 147kb)