Washington, D.C., USA – The United States released the list of eligible countries for its 2025 Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) on February 25.
The United Kingdom was excluded from the programme but remains eligible under specific conditions. Additionally, the list does not include any African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, or South Africa.
Changes and focus
While most of the VWP list remained unchanged, the addition of Romania marked a significant update.
The US has focused on enhancing security checks and prioritising countries with strong diplomatic ties and border security standards. According to the US Bureau of Consular Affairs website, the Visa Waiver Programme allows most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.
The agency stated, “Travellers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel and meet all requirements explained below. If you prefer to have a visa in your passport, you may still apply for a visitor visa.”
Policy updates and simplified travel
The new Visa Waiver Programme for 2025 introduces policy updates on permit eligibility and revisions to the list of participating countries, as well as new travel policies.
This update simplifies visa-free entry into the United States for millions worldwide, making business, tourism, and transit travel more accessible.
The 2025 Visa Waiver Programme includes 40 countries whose citizens can now travel to the United States without a visa.
See the full list below:
1. Andorra,
2. Australia,
3. Austria,
4. Belgium,
5. Chile,
7. Croatia,
8. Denmark,
9. Estonia,
10. Finland,
11. France,
12. Germany,
13. Greece,
14. Hungary,
15. Iceland,
16. Ireland,
17. Italy,
18. Israel
19. Norway,
20. Poland,
21. Portugal,
22. San Marino,
23. Singapore,
24. Slovakia,
25. Japan,
26. Slovenia,
27. Latvia,
28. South Korea,
29. Liechtenstein,
30. Spain,
31. Lithuania,
32. Sweden,
33. Luxembourg,
34. Switzerland,
35. Malta,
36. Netherlands,
37. New Zealand,
38. Qatar,
39. Romania
40. Monaco
Kenya approves visa-free entry for Nigerians
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Kenyan government has declared its intention to grant visa-free entry to African visitors. BBC reported that a cabinet statement said the ETA would be dropped for all African countries except Somalia and Libya due to security concerns.
The country’s objective of encouraging visa openness among African countries and enabling more seamless cross-border transactions and business operations is in line with this visa-free program.
The term “visa-free access within Africa” describes laws or agreements that allow nationals of one African nation to visit another without a visa or by completing streamlined visa applications.
