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2004 Press Releases

U.S. Embassy Reminds Nationals of Visa Waiver Countries of Upcoming Changes

Bratislava, September 22, 2004

Travel to the United States on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will soon be affected by several changes concerning passports and processing at the U.S. port of entry. These measures are aimed at improving security and facilitating travel.

The following 27 countries are currently in the VWP: Andorra, Austria, Australia, 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 (for citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). Holders of passports from these countries are allowed to apply for entry to the U.S. for up to 90 days for business or pleasure without obtaining a visa. Visitors from these countries who wish to stay longer or to enter for any other purpose must obtain a visa before traveling to the U.S.

The changes:

  • Starting on October 26, 2004, all passports presented for VWP travel are required to be machine-readable. After that date, citizens of the VWP countries whose passports are not machine-readable will need a visa, even for business and tourist travel of less than 90 days. They may apply for a U.S. visa at the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava; they do not have to return to their home countries to apply. Travelers who have doubts about whether their passport is machine-readable should contact the passport-issuing agency in their home country. As in the past, travelers' passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the intended length of stay.
  • Each traveler must have his/her own machine-readable passport. Children will not be able to travel on their parents' passports.
  • Starting September 30, 2004, US-VISIT procedures will be expanded to include visitors traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program when they arrive at airports and seaports of entry. US-VISIT uses digital, inkless finger scans and digital photographs to provide a means by which to verify the identity of travelers, to check against watch lists and to screen for fraudulent documents. These measures improve the Department of Homeland Security's ability to make decisions on admission to the United States.

For more information on the Visa Waiver Program, please visit http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html

Further information about US-VISIT is available at http://www.dhs.gov/us-visit

More information on the visa application process in general is available on the embassy web site at xljxmlsa