Visa

Entry requirements for UK nationals

UK passport holders require a valid passport for travel to the USA. Under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), most British citizens do not require a visa for holiday, transit or business purposes providing the stay does not exceed 90 days and a return or onward ticket is held. If the onward ticket terminates in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean Islands, travellers must be legal permanent residents of those countries.

Note: Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Protected Person, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do require a visa. From 26 October 2004, all British passport holders travelling under the VWP will need to have a machine-readable passport (MRP).

Entry requirements for Canadians

Citizens of Canada require a valid passport for entry to the USA; a visa is not required.

Entry requirements for Australians

Australians require a valid passport for travel to the USA. A visa is not required for holiday, transit or business purposes providing the stay does not exceed 90 days and a return or onward ticket is held. If the onward ticket terminates in Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean Islands, travellers must be legal permanent residents of those countries.

Entry requirements for South Africans

South Africans must hold a valid passport; a visa is also required. 

Passport/Visa Note: Travellers carrying old EU (including British) passports will have to apply for a visa for travel to the USA after 26 October 2004. New passports have a machine readable bar code on the photo page. Due to new security measures, visitors to the USA who hold visas will have a photograph and two fingerprints taken by an inkless scanner on arrival to the US from 31 December 2003.

•  UK tourist office: United States Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7499 9000 
•  Canadian tourist office: United States Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 238 5335 
•  Australian tourist office: United States Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6214 5600 
•  South African tourist office: United States Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 1048 
•  Embassy or Consulate in UK: British Embassy, Washington: +1 202 588 6500 
•  Embassy or Consulate in Canada: Canadian Embassy, Washington DC: +1 202 682 1740 
•  Embassy or Consulate in Australia: Australian Embassy, Washington DC: +1 202 797 3000 
•  Embassy or Consulate in South Africa: South African Embassy, Washington DC: +1 202 232 4400.