Embassy of the United States

IMPORTANT NOTE: Effective September 8, 2010, all Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) registration applications or renewals on or after that date will require a $14.00 fee payment by credit or debit card. 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. The ESTA registration form already in use will walk users through the payment process.  

Please note that existing ESTA registrations done prior to September 8, 2010 remain valid for travel through their expiration date. 

For more information, please visit the ESTA webpage on the Department of Homeland Security website. 

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows travelers from certain countries to enter the United States for a short period for tourism or business without a visa.  Not all countries participate in the VWP, and not all travelers from VWP countries are eligible to use the program.  

Travelers are generally eligible to enter the United States on the Visa Waiver Program if:

1.They have a passport that meets the requirement (link to Biometric passports/Machine Readable passports below) from an eligible country;

2.The purpose of travel to the United States is tourism or business;

3.They will stay less than 90 days in the United States;

4.They have not previously been found ineligible for a visa;

5.They do not have a criminal record or other condition making them ineligible for a visa;

6.They possess a return ticket; and

7.They enter and exit the United States on the passport from the country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, not the Israeli passport.

Travelers that do not meet these requirements must apply for a visa to enter the United States.   

Countries Eligible for the Visa Waiver Program

Bearers of a valid Machine Readable passport from the following countries are eligible to travel to the United States on the Visa Waiver Program:

 *Only British citizens and British subjects who have "right of abode" qualify for the visa waiver program.  

** Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended stay. 

*** E-passports (electronic passports) only  (nationals of these countries must have an E-passport regardless of the date of the issuance).  

**** German emergency and temporary passports will no longer be accepted for travel under the Visa Waiver Program.

***** Beginning April 5, Greek citizens can visit the United States for business or pleasure for up to 90 days without obtaining a B visa.  Greek citizens traveling under the VWP are required to travel on electronic passports (e-passports) and must first obtain authorization under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).  See www.cbp.gov/esta for more information on ESTA.

Note: While Canada is not included in the Visa Waiver Program, citizens of Canada generally do not need a visa to the United States for short trips of tourism or business.  For more information, follow this link to the U.S. Embassy in Canada.

Biometric passports/Machine Readable passports  

Aliens traveling under the Visa Waiver Passport must possess a biometric passport, also known as e-passport, containing an integrated chip with information from the data page except in the following cases:  

• If you hold a machine readable issued prior to October 26, 2005, you may use it for travel.  
• If you hold a passport issued between October 26, 2005 and October 25, 2006, and the Machine Readable Passport a digital photograph printed on the data page, you may also use it for travel.  
• All passports issued after October 26, 2006 must contain an integrated chip.   

ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)  

ESTA is a new fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the United States, and VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for authorization as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United States.  

An approved travel authorization via ESTA is:

• Required for all VWP travelers prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. under the VWP beginning January 12, 2009;
• Valid, unless revoked, for up to two years or until the traveler's passport expires, whichever comes first;
• Valid for multiple entries into the U.S. As future trips are planned, or if an applicant's destination addresses or itineraries change after their authorization has been approved, they may easily update that information through the ESTA Web site; and
• Not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorizes a traveler to board a carrier for travel to the U.S. under the VWP. (For additional information, please visit "For International Visitors" at www.CBP.gov/travel. 

How the Electronic System for Travel Authorization Works  

Log onto the ESTA Web site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ in order to receive more information and complete an on-line application. The website is available in 14 languages. Travelers are encouraged to apply early. The web-based system will prompt you to answer basic biographical and eligibility questions typically requested on a paper I-94W form.  

What to do if travel not authorized through ESTA  

If you have received a response to your ESTA request not authorizing your travel and requiring you to contact the Embassy, you should schedule an interview appointment at our office to apply for a B1/B2 (business/pleasure). For further information about how to apply for a visa, please click here. Requests for emergency appointments should be emailed to nivtelavivemrg@state.gov after you schedule a regular appointment.