Currently 27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which means that travelers from those countries can enter the U.S. without obtaining a visa.
Those countries are: Andorra, Austria, 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, and the United Kingdom. According to policies of the U.S. Department of State and Department of Homeland Security, all citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program who wish to enter the U.S. visa-free must present a passport with certain security features based on the date the passport was issued:
- If a passport was issued before Oct. 29, 2005, it must be machine readable.
- If a passport was issued from a VWP country between Oct. 29, 2005, and Oct. 25, 2006, it is required to have a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page.
- If a passport from a VWP country was issued after Oct. 25, 2006, it must have a chip with information from the data page.
Temporary emergency official and diplomatic passports are exempted from biometric digital photo and chip requirements, but must be machine readable.
Travelers who cannot meet all of the requirements must obtain a visa for entry into the U.S. Foreign travelers who require a visa, including those from non-WVP countries, must apply for one at an American embassy or consulate.
In June, the Department of Homeland Security announced the coming implementation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which will go into effect Jan. 12, 2009. ESTA will require VWP travelers to subject basic biographical information on themselves before entry into the U.S.
ESTA is considered an important step for allowing more countries to participate in the VWP.
The Department of Homeland Security signed a memoranda of understanding with the following countries to outline their commitment to security and therefore place them on the road to obtaining VWP status: Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, and South Korea.
