The Visa Waiver Program and ESTA: visa-free trips of up to 90 days

What the Visa Waiver Program is

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) lets citizens of participating countries come to the U.S. for tourism, business visits or transit for up to 90 days without applying for a visa at an embassy. Instead, you apply online for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The activities allowed are broadly the same as on a B-1/B-2 visitor visa: no employment and no study for credit.

Which countries are in the Visa Waiver Program?

As of October 2026, 42 countries take part: 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, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom (British citizens only). DHS can add, suspend or remove countries, so check the list on the official ESTA site or the DHS Visa Waiver Program page before you travel.

You must travel on an electronic passport (e-passport) from a participating country. Restrictions previously placed on Hungarian ESTAs were lifted as of September 30, 2025.

Who is not eligible for an ESTA?

You generally cannot use the VWP, and must apply for a visa instead, if any of these applies:

• You have been to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011 (on or after January 12, 2021 for Cuba), with limited exceptions for official or military travel. DHS can also grant case-by-case waivers.
• You are also a national of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria.
• You were previously refused a U.S. visa or ESTA, or were refused entry, unless the issue was resolved.
• You ever overstayed a VWP admission or violated U.S. immigration status.
• You have certain criminal records or other grounds of inadmissibility.
• You plan to work, study for credit, or stay longer than 90 days.

An ESTA denial is not a visa refusal. You can still apply for a B visa at an embassy, though you should expect questions about why the ESTA was denied.

How to apply for an ESTA on the official site

How much does an ESTA cost in 2026?

A 2025 law (Public Law 119-21) raised the ESTA fee from $21 to $40 starting September 30, 2025, and requires yearly inflation adjustments. DHS set the fee at $40.27 for fiscal year 2026 and $40.62 for applications approved on or after October 16, 2026. If your application is denied, you pay only the processing portion: $10.62 from that date. Fees are not refunded.

Social media question

ESTA has long included an optional question about social media accounts. In December 2025 CBP proposed making five years of social media identifiers mandatory, along with other new data. As of late October 2026, the social media section of the official ESTA application was still marked optional. Because the proposal could be adopted at any time, check the current form on esta.cbp.dhs.gov, and answer every question you choose to answer truthfully.

The 90-day rule: can you extend an ESTA stay?

• You are admitted for up to 90 days. You cannot extend that stay through USCIS. In a true emergency, such as hospitalization, CBP may grant a short "satisfactory departure" period.
• Trips to Canada, Mexico or nearby Caribbean islands during your visit generally do not restart the 90 days if you return within the original period.
• Back-to-back trips that look like living in the U.S. can lead CBP to refuse entry, even though no fixed annual limit is written in the rules.
• You generally cannot change to another status, such as student or worker, from inside the U.S. Limited exceptions exist, such as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens applying for a marriage-based green card; get legal advice first.
• By entering under the VWP you waive most rights to contest removal before an immigration judge, except for asylum claims.

At the airport and border

An approved ESTA allows you to board a flight or ship to the U.S. It does not guarantee entry. When you arrive, a CBP officer reviews your passport, may ask about your plans, and decides whether to admit you. Be ready to explain the purpose of your trip, where you will stay, and when you will leave. A return or onward ticket is generally required when arriving by air or sea.

• Travelers arriving by air or sea must use a carrier that has signed an agreement with the U.S. government. Private aircraft and some charter flights have extra rules.
• Arriving by land from Canada or Mexico, you still need an approved ESTA and will receive an electronic I-94.
• CBP may inspect your phone, laptop and other devices. Answer questions truthfully; giving false information is a serious violation.
• After entry, check your I-94 online. Your admission should show "WT" (tourism) or "WB" (business) and a date 90 days out.

Business travel on an ESTA

Business visitors under the VWP follow the same activity limits as B-1 visitors. Attending meetings, negotiating contracts, consulting with business associates and attending conferences are generally permitted. Being employed by a U.S. company, being paid from U.S. sources for local work, or doing hands-on productive work generally is not. If your trip involves installing equipment, training staff or serving clients in the U.S., confirm the plan with an attorney before you travel.

If you cannot use the VWP

If you are ineligible for the VWP, apply for a B-1/B-2 visa. Because most applicants now need an in-person interview, check the estimated appointment wait at your embassy well before your trip. Travelers who previously visited a restricted country for journalism, humanitarian work or official business may ask about expedited appointments; the consular section decides case by case.

When a visa is the better choice

Consider a B visa if you need more than 90 days, have a past immigration or criminal issue, hold a dual nationality listed above, or have traveled to a restricted country. Students should use the F-1 and exchange participants the J-1. Compare all routes in study and visit.

Pre-trip checklist

• E-passport from a participating country, valid for your whole stay.
• Approved ESTA linked to that exact passport number.
• Return or onward ticket, and proof of where you will stay.
• Enough money for your trip, or evidence of who is paying.
• Travel health insurance, since U.S. care is costly and visitors cannot use the Marketplace.

What to ask an attorney

• My ESTA was denied. Should I apply for a visa, and how do I explain it?
• I visited a restricted country for work. Does an exception apply?
• I married a U.S. citizen while on a VWP trip. What are my options?

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