Citizens of 42 countries can now travel to the United States without visas under the updated Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) for 2025, the US government has announced.
The scheme allows travellers to enter the US for up to 90 days for tourism, business or transit purposes. However, all eligible visitors must obtain travel authorisation through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before departure.
According to the US Customs and Border Protection, ESTA is an automated system that screens applicants for visa-free travel.
Conditions for Eligibility
Travellers must:
Hold a valid passport from a VWP country.
Apply and secure ESTA approval before boarding.
Limit their stay to 90 days.
Travel strictly for business or tourism.
Not have visited restricted countries.
Restrictions
Even nationals of VWP countries may be disqualified if they:
Visited North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011.
Visited Cuba on or after January 12, 2021.
Hold dual nationality with Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria or North Korea.
Those affected must instead apply for a standard US B-1/B-2 visitor visa.
List of Eligible Countries (2025):
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
