Press Releases

Visa Waiver Program Biometric Passport Requirements

October 26, 2005

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reminding visitors arriving in the United States from 27 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that they will face some new requirements starting October 26, 2005.  This is part of an ongoing initiative to increase U.S. security and as well as security for international travelers.

Passports issued on or after October 26, 2005 must bear a digital photo of the holder or integrated chip. Visitors with valid machine-readable passports issued prior to that date may continue to travel without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program.  Visitors holding passport issued after the October 26 deadline that does not meet these biometric requirements will be required to obtain a visa to travel to the United States.

Visitors can tell whether their passport meets these requirements if it contains a digital photograph that is printed on the page, not glued or laminated into the document.  Digital photographs offer more security against counterfeiting than traditional photographs. Passport guidelines and samples showing what to look for to determine if a passport is in compliance can be viewed on the Travel & Transportation page of the DHS website:  http://www.dhs.gov/

The 27 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

According to DHS, the majority of VWP countries already issue passports with a digital photo.  Homeland Security anticipates that three countries -- Italy, Austria, and France -- will not meet the October 26 deadline, but said that it will continue to work closely with these countries to certify their full compliance as soon as possible.  Travelers with new passports from these three countries will be required to obtain visas to enter the United States.

Instructions to apply for a U.S. visa are available by contacting the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Port Louis at 202-4400 Ext. 4432, by calling the Department of State’s Visa Services center, in Washington, D.C., at (202) 663-1225, or on the website:   http://www.travel.state.gov/