2003 Press Releases

Machine-Readable Passports Required to Enter U.S. on Visa Waiver Program

Bratislava, July 10, 2003

Beginning October 1, 2003, all citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) who wish to enter the U.S. visa-free must present a machine-readable passport (MRP).

VWP nationals who do not have MRPs must obtain a U.S. non-immigrant visa.

This change affects only visa waiver travel. Applicants for visas at U.S. consular sections are not required to obtain MRPs, regardless of the category of visa being sought.

Non-machine-readable passports will remain valid for Transit Without Visa (TWOV) purposes. TWOV and VWP are separate, distinct statuses. TWOV travelers are not admitted into the U.S. for B-visa purposes, as under the VWP, and therefore will not require an MRP.

This change includes all categories of passports-- tourist, diplomatic, and official. Bearers of diplomatic and official passports that are not machine-readable will need visas beginning October 1, 2003.

Families and groups should obtain an individual passport for each traveler, including infants. MRPs typically have biodata for only one traveler in the machine-readable zone (MRZ), and families may be denied visa-free entry into the U.S. if the biodata for only one traveler is machine-readable.

27 countries participate in Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, 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.