press releases 2008

Czechs Will Travel to the U.S. Without Visas Beginning November 17

Prague, October 29, 2008

The Czech Republic and other six countries will join the nations that participate in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP).  The good news was announced by President George Bush in mid-October and the specific date of the entry - November 17 - was confirmed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the end of October in Prague. This program will make it much more convenient for most Czech citizens to travel to the United States.

This initiative was a priority for President Bush.  The U.S. invitation to join the Visa Waiver Program is a recognition of the Czech Republic’s increasing importance to the United States as a trade, cultural and security partner.

“This is an exciting day for both the United States and the Czech Republic. A lot of hard work and cooperation by a lot of people in the U.S. and Czech governments have made visa waiver a reality for Czech citizens.  The Czech government has shown itself to be a good border security partner…and the Czech people themselves earned this privilege by proving during the last few years that they abide by the terms of their visas ,” said U.S. Ambassador Richard Graber.

The Visa Waiver program enables Czechs who up to now have travelled to the U.S. on B-1/B-2 visas for business or as tourists to stay in the United States for up to 90 days without a visa.  Czechs who propose to travel for any other purpose—for example to study or participate in work exchange programs—will still require a visa.  Also note that anyone holding a valid B visa can still use it to travel.

In order to visit the U.S. without a visa, travelers need two things: a biometric passport, which the government of the Czech Republic has been issuing since September 2006, and an on-line ESTA authorization, which we recommend they carry with them when they travel.   ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.  Essentially, the ESTA form is an electronic version of the form travelers to the U.S. have traditionally received during their flights to the U.S.

“The system will in the vast majority of cases immediately indicate that your travel has been authorized.  We encourage travelers to print out their authorizations and bring them to the airport. We recommend that people apply at least 3 days before they plan to travel.  The ESTA authorization will be valid for two years, but if your passport expires, you have to apply again,” said Consul General Stuart Hatcher.

For detailed information about participating in the visa waiver program, I encourage you to visit the U.S. Embassy’s website: http://prague.usembassy.gov

While we are not yet certain of the date the system will become fully operational, Czech citizens will certainly be able to use it before the end of the year.

Complete statement by President George Bush on Visa Waiver Program please read here: President Bush Discusses the Visa Waiver Program  (October 17, 2008)