Entry rule for your passport
Eligible British citizens can visit for up to 90 days without a visa under the VWP, with an approved ESTA and an e-passport. Check nationality and travel-history exclusions.
Official sources: US Department of State.
Who this covers: Full British citizen passports for short tourist visits under the VWP. This guide excludes US dual citizens and US permanent residents returning under that status. Other British nationality categories and non-tourist purposes need separate checks.
Check your circumstances
Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.
- Passport type Conditions to check
- You need an e-passport. British citizens qualify only with the unrestricted right of permanent abode in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Official sources: US Department of State.
- Trip purpose Conditions to check
- Tourism and some business visits only. An ESTA may not cover all business travel, especially on behalf of a US company.
Official sources: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
- Age Confirmed for this scope
- Anyone aged 17 and under needs their own ESTA or visa, and must carry a consent letter when traveling alone, with one parent or with another adult.
Official sources: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
- Residence Conditions to check
- There is no general requirement to live in your passport country. Residence in Canada, Mexico or nearby islands can affect onward-ticket requirements.
Official sources: US Department of State.
- Other visas or residence permits Conditions to check
- No other visa is needed. Dual nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria cannot use the program and need a visa.
Official sources: US Department of State.
- Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check
- Air or sea arrivals need a VWP-approved carrier. Private aircraft or non-approved carriers require a visa. Check return or onward-ticket requirements.
Official sources: US Department of State.
- Stay and visa validity Confirmed for this scope
- Up to 90 days per visit. VWP visitors generally cannot extend their stay or change status inside the US.
Official sources: US Department of State.
Apply for ESTA before you book
Apply on the official ESTA website or app as soon as you start planning. An approval typically lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, so a new passport needs a new ESTA.
The FCDO notes that US authorities now require a selfie photo in ESTA. If your existing approval lacks one, check your ESTA account before you travel; you may need to apply again.
Official sources: US Customs and Border Protection; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
When you need a visa instead
You cannot use the program if you traveled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, or to Cuba on or after 12 January 2021, with narrow diplomatic and military exceptions.
The FCDO adds that an arrest, a criminal record, an earlier refusal of entry or deportation, or an earlier overstay may also rule out ESTA. In those cases apply for a visitor visa through the US Embassy in London, and plan early: appointments are limited.
Official sources: US Department of State; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
At the border
Your passport must be valid for the whole stay. An ESTA or visa does not guarantee entry: officers decide on arrival and may inspect phones and other devices.
US dual citizens must enter and leave on their US passport. Returning US permanent residents follow separate documentation rules; check those rules instead of applying this tourist guide.
Official sources: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; US Department of State; US Department of State.
Plan onward travel and nearby-country trips
For air or sea travel under the VWP, use an approved carrier and check the return or onward-ticket requirements. Residence in Canada, Mexico or a nearby island can affect those requirements. Land entry also needs ESTA.
A short visit to Canada, Mexico or a nearby island normally counts within your original 90-day allowance. Returning to the US does not normally start a new 90 days.
Official sources: US Department of State; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Check temporary health entry restrictions
After 11:59 PM EST on November 3, 2026, passengers on international flights to or connecting through the US must sign a DRC travel-history attestation.
Recent presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan can prevent boarding or entry. Check the CDC restrictions before booking, including connections through those countries. Completing the form does not remove a restriction.
Official sources: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Check the linked authorities again before travel; United States makes the final entry decision.
Approved by TravPa Editors.