What is the Visa Waiver Program?
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows nationals of certain countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. To qualify for this visa waiver, nationals of partner countries must obtain an ESTA electronic travel authorization online.
List of VWP member countries
Israel is the latest country to be admitted to the VWP in October 2023. This brings to 41 the number of countries benefiting from the US visa waiver program for their nationals.
| Germany | Spain | Liechtenstein | UK |
| Andorra | Finland | Lithuania | San Marino |
| Australia | France | Luxemburg | Singapore |
| Austria | Greece | Malta | Slovakia |
| Belgium | Hungary | monaco | Slovenia |
| Brunei | Ireland | Norway | Sweden |
| Chile | Iceland | New Zealand | Swiss |
| Croatia | Israel | Netherlands | Taiwan |
| South Korea | Italy | Poland | |
| Denmark | Japan | Portugal | |
| Estonia | Latvia | Czech republic |
How can I join the visa waiver program?
Countries wishing to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program must meet certain border management requirements. The main conditions laid down by the US State Department are :
- Issuing electronic passports to its nationals
- Participate in sharing safety data with the United States
- Continuously inform the United States of stolen or lost passports
- Have a refusal rate for type B visitor passports of less than 3% for its nationals
- Actively combat terrorism at border controls.
What to do if your country is not a VWP member
If your home country is not a member of the VWP, you cannot apply for ESTA electronic travel authorization. To enter the United States, you need to apply online for a B2 visa.