Visa Waiver Program countries in 2026
42 countries and Taiwan take part in the Visa Waiver Program. If you hold a passport from one of them, you can apply for an ESTA instead of a visa.
You will see the total given as both 42 and 43 elsewhere. The list below has 43 entries: US sources count 42 countries and list Taiwan separately, because the United States does not treat Taiwan as a country for this purpose. Taiwanese passport holders are covered either way.
The full list
Europe
Andorra · Austria · Belgium · Croatia · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Monaco · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · United Kingdom
Asia and the Pacific
Australia · Brunei · Japan · New Zealand · Singapore · South Korea · Taiwan
Middle East
South America
Recent changes
| Country | Joined |
|---|---|
| Romania | 31 March 2026 |
| Qatar | 2025 |
| Israel | 2023 |
| Croatia | 2021 |
Membership is reviewed, not permanent. A country can be suspended if its passport security, information sharing or visa-overstay rate slips. Chile’s participation has been reviewed more than once. If you are booking far ahead, it is worth re-checking closer to travel.
The United Kingdom, specifically
British citizens qualify. Other British nationality classes generally do not — British Overseas Citizens, British Subjects, British Nationals (Overseas) and British Protected Persons are outside the programme and need a visa. Check which category your passport actually states.
If your country is not listed
You need a B1/B2 visitor visa, applied for at a US embassy or consulate. It involves a form, a fee, and usually an in-person interview, and appointment waits vary from days to many months depending on the post. Start early.
Being outside the Visa Waiver Program says nothing about whether you will be admitted — it only changes the route.
Holding two passports
If you hold citizenship of a Visa Waiver country and another country, you may generally use the Visa Waiver passport, with one significant exception: dual nationals of Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan and Syria are excluded from the programme entirely, whatever their other citizenship. See ESTA requirements for the full restriction.
Being on this list is not enough on its own
Citizenship is only the first of four requirements. You also need a biometric passport, an eligible purpose of travel, and a clean travel history against the restricted-country rule. All four are covered in ESTA requirements.