US Visa Waiver Scheme

The United States operates a Visa Waiver Program (VWP), available to most British passport holders travelling on business, pleasure or transit from where they normally reside and who intend to stay in the US for less than 90 days, which allows entry into the US without a visa. For details on entry requirements for the USA, check the US Embassy website www.usembassy.org.uk or the FCO Travel advice pages for the United States, under the section ‘Entry Requirements’.

The United States Government has announced changes to the conditions of the VWP, which will affect holders of non-machine-readable British passports, and also children included in parents' passports.

·        With effect from 26 October 2004 all British passport holders, including children, travelling to the US under the VWP will need their own machine-readable passport (MRP). From this date anyone travelling to the US under the VWP without a machine-readable passport, including children who are currently on a parent’s passport, will need a visa to travel to the USA.

·        The United States Government also announced a requirement that all new passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 must contain a digital photo image to enable the holder to travel to the USA visa-free.

Passports issued by the British Embassy in Vienna before August 2003 and all except the major passport issuing posts are non-machine-readable.

News and future developments

The website of the US Embassy in London contains full information on the requirements of the US Visa Waiver Program. Please check the ‘What's New’ section of their website for developments.