The Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of 43 countries to enter the United States without a visa for up to 90 days of tourism or business.
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What is the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of 43 countries to enter the United States without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. Travellers may apply for travel authorisation and register with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before entering the United States. This allows them to stay for 90 days or less without a visa.
Whether you are planning a holiday or a short business trip, where you are not a United States citizen or permanent resident you will generally need to apply for a visa in order to enter and stay in the United States lawfully.
However, where you are only hoping to visit a few landmarks, meet friends or attend a business conference, there is good news: you may enter through the Visa Waiver Program, or VWP.
Fee increase alert: 30 September 2025
The ESTA fee rose from USD 21 to USD 40 from that date. The increase affects travellers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
Considering a residency programme? The Prosperous Living Investment team assesses your profile free of charge and advises on the pathway that fits your goals.
The countries in the Visa Waiver Program
There are currently 43 countries in the Visa Waiver Program:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Croatia
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- The United Kingdom
- Romania
Reasons for travel
You may register for the Visa Waiver Program where you intend to transit through the United States to another country. Other activities you may carry out through the Visa Waiver Program include:
Tourism activities
- Holidays
- Visiting friends or relatives
- Medical treatment
- Social events
- Taking part in music or sporting events, where you are not paid to take part
- Enrolling on short recreational courses, for example cookery classes
Business activities
- Consulting with business partners
- Attending scientific, educational or professional conferences
- Short-term training where you are not paid from a United States-based source. Expenses are not usually counted as income.
- Negotiating contracts
The Visa Waiver Program covers the same travel purposes as the B-1/B-2 visa.
Visa Waiver Program eligibility
Where you wish to enter the United States through the Visa Waiver Program, you must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible:
- You are a citizen of acountry in the Visa Waiver Program
- You do not hold aVisitor Visa
- You intend to stay in the United States for 90 days or less
- You are travelling to the United States for business or tourism purposes
You also need an electronic passport (e-passport) to take part in the VWP. An e-passport has an electronic chip embedded in it to enhance the security of your document.
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
Before travelling to the United States, you must register withThe Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). You may do this online through a secure website run by the Department of Homeland Security and CBP.
To apply, you will need:
- A valid passport fromcountry in the Visa Waiver Program
- A valid email address
- Your home address and telephone number
- The telephone number and email of an emergency contact
You may pay for the ESTA online by credit card or PayPal. The current fee is USD 40, comprising a USD 17 processing fee and a USD 23 authorisation fee. Where your ESTA is not approved, you are charged only the processing fee.
Where you have aID Global Entryor a point of contact in the United States, you may have to enter those details.
Completing the form should take under 30 minutes. You may file an ESTA application as soon as you know your plans to travel to the United States.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
An ESTA is valid for 2 years, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. You may use it for several trips.
Your ESTA may be refused for a number of reasons. For example, even where you are eligible, where you have travelled to North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Libya or Somalia after 2011, your ESTA may not be approved. In that case, you may apply for a visa in order to travel to the United States.
You should apply for a new ESTA where you obtain a new passport, change your name, change gender, your nationality changes, or where your answer changes to any of the questions on the ESTA application.
You cannot extend your stay where you entered the United States under the VWP. You may always leave and re-enter, but you will need to demonstrate that you are not trying to live in the United States.
Both the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) and the B-1/B-2 visitor visa allow travellers to enter the United States for tourism or business purposes, but not everyone is eligible to use an ESTA.
Unlike an ESTA, the B-1/B-2 visa is valid for up to 180 days per entry (extendable by a further 6 months). And although the B-1/B-2 visa is not a green card and does not grant permanent resident status, you are permitted to enter the United States on a B-1/B-2 visa and change visa status inside the United States (for example: moving to another visa where eligible).
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