Under the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), citizens of 41 countries can, reportedly, enter the United States for up to 90 days without a visa as of April 2025.
Basically this program helps in facilitating tourism and business travel by allowing eligible travelers to bypass the traditional visa process only if they meet specific requirements.
The Visa Waiver Program provides a streamlined path for citizens of participating countries to visit the United States for short stays.
Who Can Qualify For The US Visa Waiver Program?
For the VWP, it considers nations from the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
Countries like the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore are among the notable participants.
Recently, Romania also joined this program in March 2025. As we know that India is not a VWP member so far.
Considering the same, the Indian nationals need to apply for a US visa via the normal procedure.
In order to travel under the VWP, travellers must hold a valid electronic passport having a digital chip containing biometric information.
Besides this, the traveler needs to obtain the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and its applications should be submitted at least 72 hours before departure.
In addition to this, their visit must be for tourism, business, or transit purposes.
They will also need to possess a return ticket or evidence of onward travel to show their intention to depart the United States within the 90-day period.
Apart from this they must not have a prior record of visa overstays, criminal activity, or travel to certain countries after specified dates.
What Is ESTA?
It appears that the US Visa Waiver Program uses an automated system called the ESTA which assists in determining a person’s eligibility to travel.
When it comes to an authorised ESTA, it permits repeated entry into the United States which is valid for two years or until the traveller’s passport expires, whichever comes first.
As part of this application procedure, the travellers must submit personal information and respond to eligibility questions.
As processing times for this application can differ so it is essential to apply well in advance.
Notable Term & Conditions
It is noteworthy here that ESTA approval does not guarantee entry as the US Customs and Border Protection officers make the final determination at the port of entry.
The applicant’s travel history matters as the individuals who have visited certain countries (e.g., Iran, North Korea) after specific dates may be ineligible for the VWP.
The applicant needs to have a valid passport for at least six months beyond the intended stay in the US, unless exempted by country-specific agreement.
The traditional visa application process remains the appropriate route in case you are not eligible under the VWP.
