Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
28
VISAS
The U.S. S tate D epartment has a
Visa
Waiver Program
(VWP)
allowing citizens
of the follo wing countries to enter the
United States without a visa for stays of up
to 90 days: Andorra, A ustralia, A ustria,
Belgium, B runei, D enmark, F inland,
France, G ermany, I celand, I reland, I taly,
Japan, Liechtenstein, L uxembourg,
Monaco, the N etherlands, New Z ealand,
Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and
the U nited Kingdom. Citiz ens of C zech
Republic, Estonia, H ungary, Latvia, Lith-
uania, Malta, Republic of Korea, and Slo-
vakia are soon to be admitted to the VWP.
(
Note:
This list was accurate at press time;
for the most up-to-date list of countries in
the VWP, consult http://trav el.state.gov/
visa.) Even though a visa isn't necessary, in
an effort to help U.S. officials check travel-
ers against terr or watch lists befor e they
arrive at U.S. bor ders, visitors from VWP
countries must register online through the
Electronic System for Travel Authorization
(ESTA) before boarding a plane or a boat
to the U.S. Travelers will complete an
electronic application providing basic per-
sonal and trav el eligibility information.
The D epartment of H omeland S ecurity
recommends filling out the form at least
three days before traveling. Authorizations
will be v alid for up to two y ears or until
the trav eler's passpor t expir es, whichev er
comes first. C urrently, there is no fee for
the online application.
Note:
Any passport
issued on or after O ctober 26, 2006, b y a
VWP country must be an
e-Passport
for
VWP travelers to be eligible to enter the
U.S. without a visa. Citiz ens of these
nations also need to pr esent a r ound-trip
air or cr uise ticket upon arriv al. E-P ass-
ports contain computer chips capable of
storing biometric information, such as the
required digital photograph of the holder .
If your passport doesn't have this featur e,
you can still trav el without a visa if it is a
valid passpor t issued befor e O ctober 26,
2005, and includes a machine-r eadable
zone, or betw een October 26, 2005, and
October 25, 2006, and includes a digital
photograph. For more information, go to
http://travel.state.gov/visa
. Canadian
citizens may enter the United States with-
out visas; they will need to show passports
(if traveling by air) and proof of residence,
however.
Citizens of all other countries must
have (1) a v alid passpor t that expir es at
least 6 months later than the scheduled
end of their visit to the U.S., and (2) a
tourist visa.
For information on obtaining a visa, go
to “Visas” in chapter 12 (p. 320).
CUSTOMS
What You Can Bring Into
the U.S.
Every visitor mor e than 21 y ears of age
may bring in, fr ee of duty, the follo wing:
(1) 1 liter of wine or har d liquor; (2) 200
cigarettes, 100 cigars (but not from Cuba),
or 3 pounds of smoking tobacco; and (3)
$100 worth of gifts. These exemptions are
offered to trav elers who spend at least 72
hours in the U nited States and who hav e
not claimed them within the pr eceding 6
months. It is forbidden to bring into the
country almost any meat products (includ-
ing canned, fresh, and dried meat products
such as bouillon, soup mixes, and so one).
Generally, condiments including vinegars,
oils, spices, coffee, tea, and some cheeses
and baked goods are permitted. Avoid rice
products, as rice can often harbor insects.
Bringing fr uits and v
3
egetables is not
advised, though not pr ohibited. Customs
will allo w pr oduce depending on wher e
you got it and where you're going after you
arrive in the U.S. I nternational visitors
may carry in or out up to $10,000 in U.S.
or for eign curr ency with no formalities;
larger sums must be declared to U.S. Cus-
toms on entering or leaving, which
includes filing form CM 4790. For details
