The US has released an updated list of eligible countries for the 2025 Visa Waiver Program (VWP), with one notable omission highlighting. African countries are not included.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is a special initiative that allows citizens of choice countries to travel to the United States for tourism and business without obtaining a visa.
The program, managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), coordinated with the State Department, allows travelers to stay for up to 90 days, provided they ensure pre-approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and meet all required requirements. Those who prefer to have a visa in their passport can apply for a visitor (b) visa instead.
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In the recently released 2025 list, countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East were eligible for visa-free travel to the US.
However, UK citizens remain eligible under certain conditions. According to US authorities, “To qualify to travel under the VWP, British citizens must have unlimited permanent residence rights in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and Human Islands.”
Another major development is the inclusion of Romania. This now joins the rank of a country where citizens can travel without a US visa for up to 90 days.
Despite these changes, it is the continued exclusion of African countries that attracted great attention. Countries such as Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana are not covered by the program. This omission raises questions about the criteria used for selection and whether future expansions could include African countries.
The US government reiterated its focus on security and border control in selecting VWP participants. Countries must demonstrate strong commitment to international cooperation, law enforcement agencies and strict security measures. The selection process also considers efforts to combat diplomatic relations, political stability, terrorism, organized crime and illegal immigration. As a result, only countries with a robust history of cooperation with the US will benefit from the program.
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To qualify for the Visa Waiver Program, a country must meet several requirements, including:
e-passports US issuance and law enforcement and security-related data sharing A visitor (b) timely reporting rebuttal rates (initial designation) of visa refusal rates (initial designation) of less than 3% (due to initial designation), loss for law enforcement, border control, and document security final designation are approved by the government.
Below is a complete list of countries eligible for the 2025 US Visa Waiver Program.
Andorra Austria Austria Belgium Brunei Chile Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Italy Latvia Lichtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg GulxembourgMalta Monaco Netherlands Sweden Switzerland Taiwan * UK**
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