Visa Waiver Program
Travel Without a Visa
To qualify for visa free travel, you must:
1. Have a valid passport issued by the participating country and be a citizen - not just a resident - of that country. All visitors must have a machine-readable passport to use the Visa Waiver Program.
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Passports issued after October 25, 2005, must contain a digital photo. A digital photo is one that is printed on the page, not a photo that is glued or laminated onto the passport.
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Passports issued after October 25, 2006 must also contain biometric information.
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Sweden is already issuing passports that meet all the above requirements.
2. be seeking entry for 90 days or less as a temporary visitor;
3. if entering by air or sea, have a round-trip ticket issued on a carrier (e.g., airline or shipping company) that is participating in the VWP, and arriving in the U.S. aboard such a carrier;
4. have proof of financial solvency (bank statement, cash, credit card, etc.) and hold a completed form I-94W, on which you have waived the right to a hearing of exclusion or deportation. These forms are available on board airlines and shipping companies. (Travelers should consult carriers before departure to verify which ones are participating in the VWP.)
Entry by land from Canada or Mexico is permitted under the VWP. Travelers who apply for entry at a land border crossing point are not required to present round-trip tickets or arrive at the border entry point aboard a carrier which has signed an agreement with the U.S. to participate in the VWP. However, all other VWP requirements do apply to such travelers.
Visitors applying for entry under this program are allowed to remain 90 days (no extensions granted) and may not change their status. Consistent with regulations governing B1/B2 temporary visitor visas, travelers coming under the VWP may not work or study in the United States. After 89 days, the visitor must leave the North American continent.
The passport only has to be valid for the duration of your stay in the U.S., with the exceptions of passports from Andorra, Brunei, and San Marino. Passports from these three countries must be valid for six months after you leave the U.S.
Summary
You DO NOT NEED a visa if
- You are a citizen of Sweden and you have a Swedish passport
and - Your passport is machine-readable. and
- You have never been charged with or convicted of a crime in any country.
and - You have never been denied a U.S. visa.
and - You have never been deported from or denied entry into the U.S.
and - You are going for 90 days or less for business or pleasure.
You DO NEED a visa if:
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You have a handwritten passport.
or -
You are not a citizen of a Visa Waiver country or Canada.
or -
You previously have been refused a U.S. visa.
or -
You have been deported from or denied entry into the U.S.
or -
You are going for a purpose other than business or pleasure.
or -
You are planning to stay for more than 90 days.
or -
You are entering the U.S. by private craft, such as boat or private plane. or
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You have been charged with or convicted of a crime in any country.
SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS
Temporary, emergency, official and diplomatic passports are exempted from biometric digital photo and chip requirements, but must be machine-readable.
Italy: If your regular Italian passport was issued or renewed on or after 10/26/05, and includes a digital photo, it is valid for VWP travel; otherwise, a U.S. visa is required.
France: If you are traveling to the United States for business or tourism with a French passport issued on or after October 26, 2005 that does not have an electronic chip, you will need to apply for a U.S. visa. Your French passport will have the gold biometric symbol on the front cover if it is the e-Passport (electronic) version required for VWP travel.
Germany: Temporary/Emergency passports: The Department of Homeland Security has determined that German temporary/emergency passports are not valid for Visa Waiver Program travel. Therefore, German temporary or emergency passports holders must get a regular German passport for VWP travel, or apply for a visa.
Please note: If you are traveling on official business and the visit is paid for by the Swedish government you need an official visa.
Most Swedish citizens going to the US for tourism or business will be able to travel without a visa on the Visa Waiver Program.
The term "business" in this context refers to negotiating contracts, meeting clients, participating in seminars, attending expositions, and taking customer orders. It does not include accepting employment or running actual firms in the US.
The 27 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.
NOTE: Certain persons may not use this program such as those who previously have been refused entry to the United States or people who have been arrested, even if the arrest didn’t result in a criminal conviction, those with criminal records, certain contagious diseases, a history of mental illness, and other problems, and persons who have been deported from the US, or overstayed a previous visit, even by one day, on the Visa Waiver Program. Such travelers must apply for a visa.