Who needs a US visa to enter the United States?
Most visitors need either a nonimmigrant visa or an approved ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program. Canadian citizens are usually visa exempt for short visits.
Updated
The Visa Waiver Program and ESTA
Citizens and nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries can visit the United States without a visa for 90 days or less. Permitted activities match a visitor (B) visa: tourism, business meetings, conferences, short-term training and medical treatment.
- You must hold an e-passport, which is a passport with an embedded electronic chip.
- You must have ESTA approval before boarding a US-bound plane or ship, or before presenting yourself at a land border port of entry.
- An ESTA costs $40.27, rising to $40.62 from 16 October 2026, and is typically valid for two years, or until your passport expires.
Children need their own ESTA at any age. Apply only on the official CBP site and confirm the current fee there.
Who still needs a visa
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Citizen of a Visa Waiver Program country, visiting for up to 90 days | An approved ESTA and an e-passport |
| Citizen of a country outside the Visa Waiver Program | A nonimmigrant visa, applied for in advance |
| Staying longer than 90 days, working or studying | A visa in the correct category, even from a participating country |
| Canadian citizen visiting | Usually no visa, though some categories are excepted |
What removes your Visa Waiver Program eligibility
Holding a participating country's passport is not always enough. The State Department lists circumstances that push an otherwise eligible traveller to a full visa.
- Travel to or presence in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, with limited exceptions.
- Travel to or presence in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021, with limited exceptions.
- Also holding nationality of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria alongside your Visa Waiver Program nationality.
If any of these apply, apply for a visa instead and allow time for an interview. The conditions have been amended more than once, so check travel.state.gov.
Canadian citizens
Citizens of Canada generally do not require a nonimmigrant visa to visit the United States, though treaty trader, investor, fiance and certain informant categories are excepted. Permanent residents of Canada who are not citizens do need a visa.
Important: Overstaying your permitted stay can void your visa or ESTA and bar you from returning for years. The officer at the border sets how long you may stay, not your visa and not your return ticket.
Visa applications and border questioning both go easier when you can show where you are staying. A free-cancellation hotel booking on trip1, payable in Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC or any of 120+ cryptocurrencies through CoinGate, gives you that proof.
Neither a visa nor an ESTA guarantees entry. Confirm current requirements for your nationality on travel.state.gov or cbp.gov before you travel.
Who needs a US visa to enter the United States - FAQ
Not for short trips. British citizens can visit the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program, as long as they hold an e-passport and an approved ESTA before travel. You need a visa to stay longer, work or study, or if a Visa Waiver Program restriction applies to you.
An ESTA currently costs USD 40.27. Under a Federal Register notice, the fee rises to USD 40.62 from 16 October 2026. The fee is the same for every nationality, and an approved ESTA usually lasts two years. Apply and pay only on the official CBP ESTA website or app, and check the fee there before you pay.
No. Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries, such as the UK, Ireland, Japan, Australia and most EU countries, can visit for up to 90 days with an ESTA instead. Canadian citizens generally need no visa for visits. Citizens of other countries, and anyone staying longer, working or studying, need a US visa applied for in advance.
As soon as you start planning your trip, ideally before you buy flights. CBP says you can apply at any time before travel, but you must have an approved ESTA before boarding a plane or ship to the US. Every traveller needs their own ESTA, including children of any age, so apply for the whole family together.
Travel to or presence in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, or Cuba on or after 12 January 2021, with limited diplomatic or military exceptions. Also holding the nationality of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria. Any of these means applying for a US visa instead.
An approved ESTA is usually valid for two years, or until your passport expires if that comes sooner. You can use it for several trips in that time, but each visit is limited to 90 days or less. Because it is linked to your passport, a new passport means applying for a new ESTA.