US Visa Waiver Program: who can visit without a visa, and on what terms
Independent site, not a government service: you apply only on the official CBP site, esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
Enter your passport: the checker tells you whether you can travel under the Visa Waiver Program with an ESTA or need a visa.
Official total, 1 traveller
€0.00
Nothing to pay for these destinations
United States–
No authorisation needed
Citizens enter with their own passport.
Euro amounts: our conversion at the ECB reference rate of October 23, 2026; you pay in the official currency.
The Visa Waiver Program lets citizens of 42 countries visit the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa, on two conditions: an approved ESTA, obtained online before boarding a plane or ship or before reaching a land border, and an e-passport with an electronic chip, required for every traveller since April 1, 2016. The list, kept by the Department of Homeland Security, covers most of Europe, plus Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Israel, Qatar, Brunei and Chile; within the European Union, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania are not members. The USD 40.62 ESTA fee is per person, children included. A stay under the program cannot be extended or changed into another status inside the country, and the 90 days are not reset by a side trip to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. People who have been in Iraq, Syria or a designated country since March 1, 2011 are excluded by law and need a visa. The CBP officer at the border decides on admission.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The member countries
The DHS list counts 42 countries. The checker uses that list, read on October 24, 2026.
| Region | Members | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | 24 | Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia |
| Rest of Europe | 8 | Andorra, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino |
| Asia and Middle East | 7 | Brunei, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan |
| Oceania and Americas | 3 | Australia, New Zealand, Chile |
The e-passport rule
Since April 1, 2016, the DHS passport requirements demand an e-passport, with the chip symbol on the cover, from every Visa Waiver traveller. A temporary or emergency passport without a chip does not qualify, even from a member country.
ESTA by air, sea or land
8 CFR 217.5 requires an approved ESTA before boarding a carrier to the United States by air or sea, and before applying for admission at a land border. There is no airside transit in US airports: a connection means entering the country, so an ESTA is needed even for a stopover.
When to apply
CBP publishes no processing time and recommends applying as soon as you start preparing the trip. Enter your departure date below: for the United States the calculator shows that advice rather than a date.
When should I apply?
Apply at the latest on
October 24, 2026
No official deadline: today is best
CBP gives no fixed delay: apply as soon as you plan the trip, before buying tickets.
Our margin: calendar days covering the longest official delay, weekends included.
Apply only at esta.cbp.dhs.gov
At the border
The ESTA is a permission to travel, not a right of entry. The CBP officer checks the passport, takes fingerprints and a photo, asks about the purpose and length of the visit and records the admission electronically. Admission under the program is for up to 90 days and cannot be extended. Overstaying ends your right to use the program again.
Who is excluded
Federal law at 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12) bars anyone who has been in Iraq, Syria or a state designated as a sponsor of terrorism since March 1, 2011, with narrow exceptions, as well as people who previously broke the terms of a Visa Waiver admission. They apply for a visa. The ESTA page gives the fee and the official address.