ProgramNo visa neededESTA required90-day limit42 countriesNo extension

VWP / ESTA Visa Waiver Program

Lets citizens of 42 designated countries visit the U.S. for business or tourism for up to 90 days without a visa, after getting an approved ESTA travel authorization.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 2026Sources: DHS · State Department · CBPReport an error

At a glance

Maximum stay: 90 days per admission; no extensions
Participating countries: 42 (DHS list)
ESTA fee: $40.27; $40.62 from Oct. 16, 2026
ESTA validity: Generally 2 years, or until the passport expires if sooner
Passport: E-passport (with embedded chip) required
Change of status: Not permitted; adjustment barred except immediate relatives

ESTA fee rises on Oct. 16, 2026; new application rules proposed. CBP’s FY 2027 inflation notice (published Oct. 1, 2026) raises the ESTA fee from $40.27 to $40.62, and the fee for a denied application from $10.27 to $10.62, starting Oct. 16, 2026. Separately, a Dec. 10, 2025 CBP notice proposed making five years of social-media history a mandatory ESTA question, adding further data fields, and accepting new applications only through the ESTA Mobile app; the comment period ran to Feb. 9, 2026. Check the official ESTA site for the questions currently asked.

Overview

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP), administered by the Department of Homeland Security in consultation with the State Department, permits citizens of designated countries to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Each traveler must hold an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before boarding a U.S.-bound air or sea carrier; since Oct. 1, 2022 the same ESTA requirement applies to VWP travelers entering by land.

Travelers are admitted in the classes WB (Visa Waiver, Business) or WT (Visa Waiver, Tourist). Permitted activities mirror the visitor (B) visa: business meetings, conferences, contract negotiation, tourism, visiting family, medical treatment and short recreational courses. Study for credit, employment, work as foreign media and permanent residence are not permitted. Transit through the United States is generally allowed.

The trade-off for visa-free travel is flexibility. By law a VWP traveler waives the right to review or appeal an officer’s admissibility decision at the port of entry and to contest removal, other than by applying for asylum. Stays cannot be extended, status cannot be changed, and adjustment to permanent residence is barred except for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. An approved ESTA allows travel to a port of entry but does not guarantee admission.

Who qualifies

To travel under the VWP, a traveler must

Be a citizen or national of a designated country and travel on that country’s passport (DHS list).
Hold an e-passport with an embedded electronic chip, including for emergency or temporary passports.
Have an approved ESTA before travel (8 CFR 217.2(b)).
Be traveling for a purpose permitted on a visitor (B) visa, for 90 days or less.
If arriving by air or sea: arrive on a carrier that has signed a VWP agreement and hold a round-trip or onward ticket (a trip ending in Canada, Mexico or an adjacent island only counts if the traveler lives there).
If arriving by land: show evidence of financial solvency and a domicile abroad (8 CFR 217.2(c)(2)).
Have complied with the conditions of any previous VWP admission.

A visa is required instead if the traveler

Has been present in Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011.
Has been present in Cuba on or after Jan. 12, 2021.
Is also a national of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria (State Department); this applies even without any travel there.
Was previously deported or removed from the United States (8 CFR 217.2(b)(2)).
Plans to stay more than 90 days, or will arrive on a private aircraft or a carrier that is not VWP-approved (State Department).
Limited exceptions apply to presence in the listed countries for military service or official duties as a full-time government employee of a VWP country; DHS may also grant case-by-case waivers (INA 217(a)(12)).

The 42 designated countries (DHS, as of Oct. 1, 2026)

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom: only British citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode. Taiwan: only holders of an e-passport bearing a household registration number. Passports of Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten do not qualify (DHS notes).

Duration & extensions

Admission	Up to 90 days per entry, as WB or WT.
Extension	Not available. If an emergency prevents departure, DHS may grant up to 30 days of “satisfactory departure”.
Side trips to Canada, Mexico or nearby islands	Readmission generally only for the balance of the original admission; the whole trip must fit within 90 days.
ESTA validity	Generally two years, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first; multiple trips allowed.
Change of status	Not permitted (8 CFR 248.2).

Fees

ESTA fees are set by INA 217(h)(3)(B) as amended by Public Law 119-21, and are adjusted for inflation each fiscal year by Federal Register notice.

Fee	Amount	Who pays	Notes
ESTA travel authorization (approved)	$40.27	Traveler	Current FY 2026 amount (since Jan. 1, 2026): $17 + $10.27 cost-recovery + $13. Rises to $40.62 on Oct. 16, 2026.
ESTA application denied	$10.27	Traveler	Cost-recovery portion only; rises to $10.62 on Oct. 16, 2026.
Visa application fee	None	—	No visa is issued. A traveler who is not eligible applies for a visitor (B) visa instead ($185).

Pay only through the official ESTA website or the ESTA Mobile app; CBP has described third-party websites that charge travelers extra fees. Before Sept. 30, 2025 the ESTA fee was $21.

Processing time

When to apply: Any time before travel; CBP recommends applying as soon as travel plans begin, ideally before buying tickets.
Fee change: Oct. 16, 2026; FY 2027 ESTA fee of $40.62 takes effect.

No official processing time is published on the CBP pages reviewed. An approved ESTA allows travel to a port of entry; CBP officers decide admission on arrival.

Application steps

1
Confirm eligibility
Check citizenship against the DHS country list, confirm the passport is an e-passport, and review the travel-history and dual-nationality restrictions.
2
Apply for ESTA
Complete the application on the official ESTA website or the ESTA Mobile app and pay the fee by card.
3
Check the result
If the ESTA is denied, the traveler can apply for a visitor (B) visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
4
Book travel
Fly or sail with a VWP-signatory carrier and hold a return or onward ticket; land travelers need proof of funds and a home abroad.
5
Inspection on arrival
A CBP officer decides whether to admit the traveler as WB or WT, for up to 90 days.
6
Depart on time
Leave by the end of the admission period; failing to comply with a VWP admission bars later VWP use.

Required documents

For the trip

E-passport from a VWP country, valid for at least six months beyond the planned departure unless a country-specific agreement exempts it.
Approved ESTA (linked to the passport used to apply).
Return or onward ticket (air and sea arrivals).
Evidence of the trip’s purpose and of funds, which officers may ask for; land arrivals must show financial solvency and a domicile abroad.

Dependents & family

There is no dependent category. Each family member, including infants and children, needs their own passport and their own approved ESTA.

Path to a green card

The VWP is not a route to permanent residence. Under INA 245(c)(4), a person admitted without a visa under the VWP cannot adjust status in the United States unless they are an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen (spouse, unmarried child under 21, or parent of an adult citizen).

Anyone seeking to immigrate generally does so through an immigrant visa processed abroad. VWP entrants also waive most rights to contest removal (INA 217(b)).

B-2

Tourist visitor visa

For travelers who are not VWP-eligible or need more than 90 days.

B-1

Business visitor visa

Visa-based alternative for business trips.

C-1

Transit visa

Transit through the U.S. for those who cannot use the VWP.

BCC

Border Crossing Card

Visitor document for citizens of Mexico.

Common questions

How much does ESTA cost?

$40.27 through Oct. 15, 2026 and $40.62 from Oct. 16, 2026. If the application is denied, only the cost-recovery portion is charged ($10.27, then $10.62). Before Sept. 30, 2025 the fee was $21.

I visited Cuba after January 2021. Can I still use ESTA?

Generally no. Presence in Cuba on or after Jan. 12, 2021 makes a traveler ineligible for the VWP, apart from limited military or official-duty exceptions, so a visitor visa is needed.

Can a VWP stay be extended beyond 90 days?

No. Extensions and changes of status are not permitted. Only in an emergency may DHS grant up to 30 days of satisfactory departure.

How long is an approved ESTA valid?

Generally two years, or until the passport expires if that is sooner. It can be used for multiple trips, each limited to 90 days.

Is a social-media question mandatory on ESTA?

CBP proposed on Dec. 10, 2025 to make five years of social-media history mandatory and to move applications to the mobile app. Check the official ESTA site for the questions currently asked.

Official sources

Recent changes

Oct 1, 2026
FY 2027 ESTA fee set at $40.62. Inflation notice raises the ESTA fee from $40.27 to $40.62, and the denied-application fee from $10.27 to $10.62, effective Oct. 16, 2026. Source ↗
Dec 10, 2025
Proposed: mandatory social media, mobile-only ESTA. 60-day notice proposing a mandatory five-year social-media question, additional “high value” data fields and mobile-app-only applications; comments were due Feb. 9, 2026. Source ↗
Nov 19, 2025
FY 2026 ESTA fee set at $40.27. Inflation adjustment to the HR-1 ESTA fee, collected from Jan. 1, 2026. Source ↗
Aug 28, 2025
ESTA fee rises from $21 to $40. Implements Public Law 119-21 sec. 100014; CBP began charging $40 on Sept. 30, 2025. Source ↗
May 2, 2025
Romania’s VWP designation rescinded. Romania was designated on Jan. 9, 2025, but the designation was rescinded on May 2, 2025 before it was implemented. Source ↗
Jan 20, 2025
Cuba terrorism-sponsor rescission reversed. Executive Order 14148 revoked the Jan. 14, 2025 memorandum certifying rescission of Cuba’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation; presence in Cuba on or after Jan. 12, 2021 still bars VWP use. Source ↗
Nov 21, 2024
Qatar joins the VWP. VWP travel for eligible Qatari citizens began Nov. 21, 2024. Source ↗
Sep 29, 2023
Israel joins the VWP. Israel designated; VWP travel began Sept. 29, 2023. Source ↗

This page is general reference material compiled from the official sources above and is not legal advice. Eligibility depends on individual facts; rules and fees change, so confirm with the agency before you file. VisaTypes.com is not affiliated with USCIS, the Department of State or any government agency. Spotted an error? Tell us.