US visa not needed? Citizens from THESE countries can stay in America without visa for 90 days. Is India included?

Under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), citizens from 41 countries can enter the United States for 90 days without a visa, provided they meet certain requirements. This initiative allows citizens from these countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without obtaining or applying for a visa.

What is the Visa Waiver Program?

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP), administered by the Department of Homeland Security, allows eligible citizens or nationals of designated countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

In return, these designated countries are expected to allow US citizens and nationals to travel to their countries for a similar length of time without a visa for business or tourism purposes.

Is India included in 90-day visa-free visit list?

No, currently, India is not designated as a VWP country. Hence, citizens and nationals from India cannot visit the United States for 90 days without a visa.

Countries eligible for 90-day visa-free visit

Citizens of countries such asUnited Kingdom, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan are eligible.

What are the conditions to apply for visa-free travel?

• Travellers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel.
• They can only apply for travel related to tourism and business purposes.
• Only citizens and nationals from designated countries are eligible. 

What are the passport requirements to be eligible for visa-free travel?

A visit to the United States under the VWP is prohibited to travellers possessing passports with specified security features. Visa Waiver Program passport requirements are:

• The passport must have a machine-readable zone on the biographic page.
• The passport must be an electronic passport with a digital chip containing biometric information about the passport owner.

Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 –  Few conditions

Travellers in the following categories will be required to secure a visa before travelling to the United States, as they are no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):

• Nationals of VWP countries who have travelled to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, except for diplomatic or military purposes.
• Nationals of VWP countries who have travelled to Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, except for diplomatic or military purposes.
• Nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria.