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United States Passport & Visa Information

Passport General:Required, but NOT by the following:
1) The following definitions shall be applicable to this part:
a) The United States means the continental United States, the state of Hawaii, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Canal zone, American Samoa, Guam and any other islands or territory over which the United States exercises jurisdiction
2) A United States citizen is not required to bear a valid passport to enter or depart the United States but must provide one of the following: Oral declaration, proof of United States citizenship (valid or expired United States passport, United States birth certificate, naturalisation certificate) & valid photo
Please note that an American citizen entering American Samoa requires a valid United States passport
a) When travelling directly between parts of the United States as defined above
b) When travelling between the United States and any country, territory or island adjacent thereto in North, South or Central America excluding Cuba, provided that this exception is not applicable to any such person when proceeding to or arriving from a place outside the United States for which a valid passport is required under this part if such travel is accomplished within 60 days of departure from the United States via any country or territory in North, South or Central America or any island adjacent thereto. From 08/01/07 ALL persons, including United States citizens, travelling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central & South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport
3) Citizens of United States returning from a trip within the `Americas` holding proof of identity, i.e. birth certificate or naturalisation papers
4) Alien residents returning from a stay outside United States of less than one year holding an Alien Registration Card (form I-551) or a valid re-entry permit
5) Holders of any official travel certificate issued by any United States diplomatic or consular representation
6) Canadian citizens who are entering the United States from a country in North, Central or South America or the adjacent islands who have valid photo ID or proof of citizenship
7) Bermudan citizens who are entering the United States from a country in North, Central or South America or the adjacent islands who have valid photo ID or proof of citizenship
Passport Notes:1) European Union style British passports qualify only if they indicate the bearer is a `British Citizen`. Old style passports qualify if they indicate the bearer is a `British Subject: Citizen of United Kingdom & Colonies` and has the right of abode in the United Kingdom or if citizen of the United Kingdom & Colonies is crossed out and on page 5 under the words `holder has the right of abode in the United Kingdom` the following appears: `The holder is a British Citizen under the provision of the `British Nationality Act 1981`. Those passports which state that the bearer is a `British Subject` and do not contain the additional `Citizen of United Kingdom & Colonies` wording do not qualify for travel without a visa, this also applies to British Overseas Citizens, British Dependent Territories Citizens, British National (Overseas) Citizen & British Protected Persons, regardless of whether right of abode is indicated
2) All travellers (including children) wishing to enter under the Visa Waiver Program will require an individual machine-readable passport, passports issued on or after 26/10/2005 must contain a digital photograph of the holder
3) Passports issued (or extended) ON or AFTER 26/10/05 but PRIOR to 26/10/06 must contain a digital photograph or integrated chip with information from the data page, otherwise passengers require a visa to enter the United States
4) Passports issued (or extended) On or AFTER 26/10/06 must contain an intergrated circuit chip, otherwise passengers require a visa to enter the United States
Passport Validity:1) Passports of alien non-immigrant passengers must be valid 6 months from date of intended departure from the United States, however, the requirement is waived in the case of many nationalities. For further information, please visit the Embassy`s website at www.usembassy.org.uk
2) If travelling under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program with a passport valid for less than 90 days, the holder will be admitted into the United States only until the date on which the passport expires, except citizens of Andorra, Brunei Darussalam & San Marino who must be in possession of passports valid for at least 6 months from the date on which they depart the US, regardless of their proposed length of stay
Visa General:The following DO NOT require a visa:
1) Nationals of United States and Canada
a) Residents of United States if have: i) a Permanent Resident/Resident Alien Card, ii) a United States Permit to Re-Enter iii) a United States Refugee Travel Document
2) Nationals of Bahamas, Bermuda, Northern Mariana Islands, Mexico (holding passport & machine readable Biometric Border Crossing Card), Micronesia, Palau
3) For stays up to 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program by:
a) Holders of British passports endorsed British Citizen (such passports have the automatic right of abode in the UK but this is not explicitly mentioned in the passport)
b) Nationals of Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland Rep, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden & Switzerland
c) Nationals of Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Korea (South), Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia

Passengers whose nationality is named above in section 3a) or 3b) must meet all of the following criteria in order to be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program:
4) Holds ESTA approval prior to travel. If ESTA is denied, passengers will be referred to the US embassy to apply for a visa. An ESTA application is currently free of charge. Please visit https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov to apply.
5) The passenger is travelling on a valid individual passport which:
a) Passports issued before 26 Oct 2005 must be machine-readable
b) Passports issued between 26 Oct 2005 and 25 Oct 2006 must be machine-readable and include a digital photograph
c) Passports issued after 26 Oct 2006 must be e-passports (identifiable by symbol on front of passport)
See www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/content_multi_image_0021.shtm for further info on passport requirements
6) The passenger is travelling for business, pleasure or transit stays of 90 days or less
7) If entering by air or sea is holding a return or onward ticket. If travelling on an electronic ticket, a copy of the itinerary must be carried for presentation to Immigration at port of entry. Travellers with onward tickets terminating in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean islands must be legal permanent residents of these areas
8) The passenger must be entering aboard an air or sea carrier that has agreed to participate in the Visa Waiver Program
9) The passenger must be in possession of a completed form I-94W, obtainable from airline & shipping companies

Passengers whose nationality is named above in section 3c) must meet all of the following criteria in order to eligible for the Visa Waiver Program:
10) The passenger holds ESTA approval.
11) The passenger holds an individual e-passport (containing electronic chip)
12) The passenger is travelling for business, pleasure or transit stays for 90 days or less
13) The passenger must be entering aboard an air or sea carrier that has agreed to participate in the Visa Waiver Program
14) If entering by air or sea, the passenger must hold a return or onward ticket. If travelling on an electronic ticket, a copy of the itinerary must be carried for presentation to Immigration at port of entry. Travellers with onward tickets terminating in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean islands must be legal permanent residents of these areas
Visa Notes:For up-to-date visa information visit: www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/index.html or http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/niv/vwp.html
To check a passenger’s eligibility with the Visa Waiver Wizard visit: www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/visa_wizard.html
To complete an ESTA application visit: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

1) Children require individual visas. Old style visas which were issued to bearer & covered all those named in the passport are no longer issued
2) Some travellers are not eligible by law to enter the US. These include people with criminal records, certain serious communicable illnesses, previous deportations from the United States, previous overstays on the Visa Waiver Program & certain other problems. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to United States visa law. Such travellers may not travel visa-free & must apply for special visas. If they attempt to travel without a visa, they will be refused entry into the United States