FAQs
Visa Waiver Program
May I travel to the United States without a visa?
Please visit our Visa Waiver Program page to find out more.
Which countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program?
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
NEW COUNTRIES ADDED: The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) was expanded to include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Republic of Korea, and the Slovak Republic in late 2008. Please review the Visa Waiver Program quick reference handout to learn about VWP travel.
My Finnish passport is not valid for six months after my trip to the US, does this matter if I'm traveling visa free?
The requirement that a passport be valid for six months beyond the holders stay in the United States is waived for Finnish passport holders. If you hold a passport from another country please visit the following link to see if your passport country is waived from the requirement: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/104770.pdf
Who Must Apply for a Visa?
Do I need a Visa?
You are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program and do not have to apply for a United States Visa if you:
- Are a citizen of Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland or Spain, and
- Are staying for less than 90 days on your pleasure or business trip to the United States.
- You possess a valid machine readable passport.
NOTE: Machine-readable passports issued or extended before October 26, 2005 are valid for travel under the VWP. If the machine-readable passport was issued or extended between October 26, 2005 and October 26, 2006, it must have a digital photograph or an integrated computer chip. If the machine-readable passport does not have a digital photograph, a U.S. visa must be applied for. However, machine-readable passports without digital photos, issued or extended before October 26, 2005 will continue to be valid for travel to the United States. Machine-readable passports, issued or extended on or after October 26, 2006, require an integrated chip.
You must apply for a visa if you:
- Are not a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program country;
- Intend to accept paid or unpaid employment in the USA (also applies to journalists, au-pairs, religious workers, interns);
- Wish to travel to the United States for more than 90 days;
- Wish to attend a secondary school or university (including as part of an exchange program or a self-organized stay);
- Have been denied entry on a previous occasion or have been expelled from the USA;
- Have a criminal record or suffer from a serious transmittable disease or mental disorder.
I have been arrested/convicted of a crime. Does that mean that I cannot travel to the United States?
Persons that have been arrested or convicted of a crime anywhere at any time, should contact the visa section at HelsinkiNIV@state.gov to determine if a visa application should be made. Although not all crimes represent an ineligibility for travel to the United States, persons with criminal records should work with the consular section before traveling to the US. It is important to note that Visa Waiver Program travelers are subject to ineligibilities and may not be allowed to enter the United States if they have criminal records.