2005 Press Releases
Changes in Visa-Free Travel to the United States
June 22, 2005
On June 15, 2005, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced changes in passport requirements for travelers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in which France participates. These changes come after extensive discussions on how to secure borders while welcoming legitimate travelers to the United States. Given these changes, the U.S. Embassy recommends that French citizens considering travel to the United States obtain machine-readable passports prior to October 26, 2005 to facilitate their travel.
The recent changes are:
- Starting June 26, 2005, travelers from VWP countries must possess machine-readable passports to enter the United States without a visa. Travelers with the older, non-machine readable passports may continue to enter the United States, but only if they obtain a visa.
- If the machine-readable passport is issued on or after October 26, 2005, it must have a digital photograph. Machine –readable passports, without digital photos issued before October 26, 2005, will however, continue to be valid for travel to the United States.
- Travelers with passports issued on or after October 26, 2006, over one year from now, will be required to have a passport with an integrated circuit chip capable of storing biometric information.
For more information on the "Visa Waiver Program" and U.S. visas, please consult the Embassy website.