VISA WAIVER PROGRAM INFORMATION

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Maltese citizens are now eligible to travel to the United States without a visa. Please consult our information on the Visa Waiver Program before deciding whether or not you should apply for a visa. The Embassy will not issue a refund to any person who pays the non-refundable visa application fee and later decides to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program.

Effective December 30, 2008, Maltese citizens are eligible to travel to the U.S. without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program if the following conditions are met:

The visit is less than 90 days
The visit is for tourism or business
The traveler holds a valid biometric passport
The traveler registers for and receives an approved travel authorization, or ESTA, by entering their travel details at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov prior to commencing travel
The traveler has a valid return ticket
If arriving by air or sea, the traveler will arrive on a regularly scheduled carrier.
If arriving by land, the traveler must complete and sign Form I-94W (Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Form), available at each border crossing, and pay the land border fee, currently USD $6.00 (payable only in U.S. dollars). An approved ESTA is not required when entering the U.S. at a land border crossing.

Important reminder:
Travelers who plan to study, work or remain more than 90 days in the United States are not eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program and must be in possession of a valid U.S. visa before commencing their travel. In addition, Maltese citizens who do not have a biometric passport may continue to travel to the United States if they are in possession of a valid U.S. visa.

If you have questions about the Visa Waiver Program, please contact the consular section at ConsularMalta@state.gov.

Additional Information about the Visa Waiver Program:

Video: ESTA - Get It and Go, by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - wmv, 6.3 MB
(in English with English captions)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a biometric passport?
Biometric passports are easily recognizable by the international biometric passport symbol that appears on their cover (see illustration below). Malta began issuing biometric passports in October 2008. Any passport that was issued before that date is not a biometric passport and is not valid for travel under the Visa Waiver Program. For information about how to apply for a biometric passport, please visit the website of the Maltese Passports Office. Please note that obtaining a new biometric passport is less expensive than applying for a visa and usually takes only four working days to process.

What information is needed to apply for ESTA?
The traveler must provide biographical data including name, birth date, and passport information, as well as answers to questions regarding eligibility to travel under the Visa Waiver Program. This is the same information that was previously asked on the I-94W immigration form distributed on flights to the U.S. A friend, relative, travel agent, or another third party may file an application on your behalf, but each traveler is responsible for the truthfulness and accuracy of all information submitted on his or her behalf.
When should I apply?
Applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, but travelers are encouraged to apply at least 72 hours before their intended travel date. While the ESTA web site will provide an immediate answer in most cases, some ESTA decisions may take up to 72 hours to process.
How long is my travel authorization valid?
Travel authorizations are generally valid for two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. A visitor may travel to the U.S. repeatedly within the validity period without applying for a new ESTA.
Do I ever need to reapply for travel authorization through the ESTA?
Yes, there are instances when a new travel authorization via ESTA would be required. If you have acquired a new passport or had a change in name, gender, or citizenship, or if the answers to any of the “yes or no” ESTA questions have changed, a new application must be submitted. Applicants may also update information about their travel plans if they change after their ESTA has been approved, although this information is optional.
What are the possible responses I may receive?
Authorization Approved: Travel authorized.
Travel Not Authorized: Traveler must obtain a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate before traveling to the U.S.
Authorization Pending: Traveler will need to check the ESTA Web site for updates within 72 hours to receive a final response.
Do I need to bring a paper printout of my ESTA approval to the airport?
No, although you may wish to print out the ESTA application response in order to maintain a record of your ESTA application number.
What should I do if I am denied a travel authorization?
If an application for travel authorization is denied and the traveler wishes to continue with the trip, he/she will be required to apply for a visa at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Can I enter the U.S. at a land border crossing from Canada or Mexico using the VWP?
Yes. If you enter at a land border crossing you must complete and sign the Form I-94W, Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Form, and pay the land border fee, currently USD $6.00 (payable only in U.S. dollars). In addition, you must satisfy the immigration officer that you have funds to support yourself during your stay and to depart the United States. An approved ESTA is not required.
If I enter the U.S. using the VWP, can I make a side trip to Canada or Mexico?
Yes. You may be readmitted to the U.S. under the VWP after a side trip to Canada or Mexico (or adjacent islands*), but you will only be admitted for the balance of your original admission period. In other words, the total amount of time between your initial entry to the U.S. and your final exit from the U.S. – including time spent on a side trip to Canada or Mexico – cannot exceed 90 days. When re-entering the U.S., you must show evidence of the date of your initial entry into the U.S., such as a passport stamp.
* The term “adjacent islands” refers to the islands of Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Miquelon, Montserrat, Saba, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint Christopher, Saint Eustatius, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre, Saint Vincent, Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands, as well as any other British, French or Netherlands territory or possession bordering on the Caribbean Sea.

MALTA JOINS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
U.S. Ambassador Molly Bordonaro announces that Malta will join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program
Monday December 22, 2008
At a joint press conference held today at Auberge de Castille with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, U.S. Ambassador Molly Bordonaro announced that Malta will join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program next week. Ambassador Bordonaro said that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which administers the program, had formally designated Malta as a Visa Waiver Program participant last week, and that Maltese citizens will be able to travel to the U.S. without a visa beginning December 30.
In her remarks, Ambassador Bordonaro emphasized the positive impact of Malta’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program for tourist, business, and family travelers. Ambassador Bordonaro also expressed appreciation to the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications for their close cooperation with U.S. officials as the two governments worked to bring Malta into the Visa Waiver Program. “The fact that Maltese citizens can travel to the U.S. without visa requirements is a strong expression of the close relationship between our two countries,” Ambassador Bordonaro added.
In order to travel to the United States under the visa waiver program, which now includes 35 countries, travelers must be in possession of a valid biometric passport, must be traveling to the U.S. for tourism or business for a period of no more than 90 days, and must obtain an approved electronic travel authorization, or ESTA, before traveling. Maltese citizens planning to travel to the U.S. in the near future can already apply for ESTA approval by following the ESTA link on the U.S. Embassy’s website, http://malta.usembassy.gov.
Malta’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program does not mean that visas will go away entirely. Maltese citizens who already hold a valid visa for the United States can continue to travel using that visa. In addition, persons who wish to travel to the U.S. for a period of more than 90 days or for a purpose other than tourism or business, such as to study or to work, will still need to apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy.
The U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs Sign Visa Waiver Program Agreement
April 11, 2008
The U.S. Embassy and the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs today signed a memorandum of understanding for Malta’s participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. The agreement was signed by U.S. Ambassador Molly Bordonaro and the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Dr. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, at the Ministry in Auberge d’Aragon, Valletta.

This memorandum is an essential step in the path to Malta’s admission to the Visa Waiver Program. In the coming months, U.S. and Maltese will be working together to ensure that Malta meets the requirements for Visa Waiver Program participation. Should Malta fulfill these criteria and be accepted into the program, Maltese citizens could travel to the U.S. without a visa as early as the end of this year.
The Visa Waiver Program was established over 20 years ago, and currently has 27 participant countries from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. In August 2007, President Bush signed a law to reform the Visa Waiver Program and strengthen the security arrangements required of existing participant countries, as well as to expand the conditions for aspiring countries to join the program.
In her comments preceding the signing of the memorandum of understanding, Ambassador Bordonaro noted that the U.S. has signed Visa Waiver Program agreements with a number of European Union member states in recent months, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Lithuania. Ambassador Bordonaro added that “we are very pleased to now add Malta to that list.”
The Ambassador also complimented the work of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get to this important step.
In his remarks, Minister Mifsud Bonnici highlighted the importance of this significant event considering that the U.S. Visa Waiver Program has been a high priority political objective for many years.
He acknowledged the efforts put forward by officials from both parties to conclude successfully these negotiations and remarked that this is an important milestone which, following further negotiations, discussions and arrangements would eventually lead to Malta’s accession in the Visa Waiver Program.

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