What's new?
Biometric Passports: Travelers Alert!
Beginning on October 26, 2004, travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will require a machine-readable passport.
The new Country passports are machine-readable. The old ones are not.
"Machine-readable" is NOT the same as "biometric." The new Country passports are NOT biometric. There will be a biometric passport requirement for VWP travelers, but it has been postponed until October 26, 2005.
Remember that the current machine-readable and future biometric passport requirements only apply to travelers under the VWP. Some types of travel to the USA require a visa, even for Country citizens. Travelers who need visas also need a valid passport, but do not need the machine-readable or the biometric passport in order to apply for entry to the U.S. Visas are required for students, journalists, temporary workers, etc.
What Kind of Passport Do You Need?
| After October 26, 2004 | After October 26, 2005 | |
| Traveling without a visa (under Visa Waiver Program) | Machine-readable passport | Biometric passport OR Machine-readable passport issued before October 26, 2005 |