Spain Joins France and More as US Allows Over Thirty European Nations to Visit New York, Los Angeles and Other US Destinations Without Any Visa in 2026

Spain joins France and more than thirty other European nations as the United States allows eligible travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries to visit New York, Los Angeles and other US destinations without a traditional visa in 2026. Through the Visa Waiver Program, qualifying citizens can travel for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days with approved ESTA authorisation, making short US trips easier while still requiring travellers to meet all entry requirements.

Travelling to the United States without obtaining a traditional visitor visa remains possible in 2026 for eligible citizens or nationals of 42 Visa Waiver Program countries. Travellers can visit destinations including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Miami, Las Vegas and other US cities for tourism or qualifying business for up to 90 days, provided they obtain an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, and satisfy all other US entry requirements. However, ESTA is not a visa, does not guarantee admission and cannot be used by every foreign traveller.

The Visa Waiver Program, commonly known as the VWP, offers an important alternative to the conventional B visitor visa for eligible travellers. Instead of completing the full visitor visa process before a short tourism or qualifying business trip, citizens or nationals of participating countries can seek travel authorisation electronically.

There is an important distinction for travellers in 2026: this is not a newly introduced visa-free scheme and the United States has not abolished tourist visas. The VWP is an established federal programme, while ESTA is the electronic authorisation system used to determine whether eligible travellers may travel under it.

What Is the US Visa Waiver Program?

The Visa Waiver Program allows eligible citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or qualifying business without obtaining a visitor visa for stays of 90 days or less.

Travellers must satisfy all VWP requirements and generally obtain valid ESTA approval before travelling to the United States.

The programme covers the United States nationally. Individual cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or San Antonio do not establish separate Visa Waiver Program rules.

This means a traveller who qualifies for the VWP is seeking admission to the United States under federal immigration rules, rather than receiving special permission to visit a particular American city.

ESTA Is the Key Requirement but It Is Not a Visa

ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

It is an automated system operated by US Customs and Border Protection that determines whether a traveller is eligible to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.

The distinction between ESTA and a visa is important.

ESTA is not a US visa.

A traveller who requires a visa under US immigration rules cannot simply obtain ESTA as an alternative. ESTA is available specifically for eligible travellers seeking to use the Visa Waiver Program.

An approved ESTA also does not guarantee that a person will be admitted to the United States.

It allows an eligible traveller to travel to a US port of entry and request admission. US Customs and Border Protection officers retain authority to determine whether that traveller can enter.

Citizens of 42 Countries Can Participate

The Visa Waiver Program currently covers 42 participating countries or jurisdictions.

These are:

No.	Country	No.	Country
1	Andorra	22	Liechtenstein
2	Australia	23	Lithuania
3	Austria	24	Luxembourg
4	Belgium	25	Malta
5	Brunei	26	Monaco
6	Chile	27	Netherlands
7	Croatia	28	New Zealand
8	Czech Republic	29	Norway
9	Denmark	30	Poland
10	Estonia	31	Portugal
11	Finland	32	Qatar
12	France	33	San Marino
13	Germany	34	Singapore
14	Greece	35	Slovakia
15	Hungary	36	Slovenia
16	Iceland	37	South Korea
17	Ireland	38	Spain
18	Israel	39	Sweden
19	Italy	40	Switzerland
20	Japan	41	Taiwan
21	Latvia	42	United Kingdom

Being a citizen or national of one of these countries does not automatically guarantee Visa Waiver Program eligibility. Travellers must still satisfy passport, ESTA, travel-history and other admissibility requirements.

British travellers also face a specific qualification: eligible British citizens must have the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Travellers Can Stay for Up to 90 Days

The maximum VWP stay is 90 days or less.

This is one of the most important rules for travellers to understand.

An ESTA can generally remain valid for considerably longer than an individual visit, but that does not extend the amount of time someone can remain in the United States on a particular VWP admission.

A traveller cannot interpret a multi-year ESTA validity period as permission to remain in America for that entire period.

The Visa Waiver Program is designed for short visits.

Tourism Is Permitted Under the Programme

The VWP can be used for a wide range of ordinary tourism activities.

Travellers can take holidays, visit family and friends, receive certain medical treatment, participate in social events and undertake some short recreational courses that do not count towards an academic degree.

This makes ESTA particularly relevant to travellers planning city breaks, road trips, theme-park holidays, national park visits, cruises beginning or ending in the United States and longer multi-destination holidays within the 90-day limit.

Eligible travellers can therefore visit New York, California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Nevada and destinations across the country without obtaining a traditional visitor visa first, provided all VWP conditions are met.

Certain Business Trips Are Also Allowed

The programme is not limited to leisure tourism.

Eligible travellers can undertake certain business activities, including meeting business associates, attending professional or business conferences, negotiating contracts and participating in qualifying short-term training.

However, the Visa Waiver Program should not be confused with permission to work in the United States.

Employment is not an authorised VWP purpose.

People intending to work, undertake certain studies or permanently reside in the United States need to determine the appropriate immigration or visa category for their circumstances.

Journalists Need to Be Particularly Careful

One restriction is especially important for journalists, photographers and other media professionals.

The Visa Waiver Program cannot generally be used to work in the United States as foreign press, radio, film, journalism or other information media.

That means there is a crucial difference between a journalist travelling to America for a personal holiday and travelling there professionally to report, film or perform media work.

A journalist planning professional reporting should not assume that an approved ESTA provides the necessary immigration status simply because their nationality qualifies for the Visa Waiver Program.

Travellers Need an Electronic Passport

VWP travellers need the correct type of passport.

They must generally hold an electronic passport, commonly called an e-passport. These passports contain an embedded electronic chip and can usually be recognised by the international e-passport symbol on the cover.

The passport must also satisfy US validity requirements.

As a general rule, the passport should remain valid for at least six months beyond the traveller’s planned departure from the United States. However, citizens of some countries are covered by agreements that exempt them from the general six-month requirement.

Each traveller needs an eligible passport, including children and infants.

ESTA Application Fee Has Increased

Another important development affecting 2026 travellers concerns cost.

The statutory ESTA fee was increased from $21 to a minimum of $40 following changes enacted in 2025.

This makes it important for travellers relying on old travel guides or previous ESTA experiences to check current requirements rather than assuming the former $21 charge still applies.

Travellers should also be cautious about commercial third-party websites that may charge additional service or processing fees.

Using the official US government ESTA system helps travellers distinguish the government application process from private intermediaries.

What Information Is Needed for ESTA?

Travellers should be prepared to provide personal and passport information when completing their ESTA application.

The process can require details including passport information, contact information, email address, home address and telephone number, together with answers to eligibility and security questions.

Applicants may also need to provide employment details, emergency contact information and information relating to their intended US trip.

Accuracy matters.

Incorrect passport details can cause significant problems because the ESTA is electronically connected to the passport used for the application.

ESTA Can Generally Last for Two Years

For many eligible travellers, an approved ESTA is generally valid for up to two years, or until the associated passport expires, whichever occurs first.

During that validity period, travellers can normally make multiple trips without submitting a new application for every holiday.

But every individual visit must still comply with the VWP rules, including the 90-day admission limit.

There are also exceptions to the standard validity period for certain nationalities or circumstances, so travellers should always check the validity displayed on their own authorisation.

A New Passport Can Require a New ESTA

An ESTA does not simply transfer automatically when someone replaces their passport.

Travellers generally need a new ESTA after receiving a new passport.

A new application can also become necessary following certain changes to personal circumstances, such as a change of name, citizenship or information affecting answers to ESTA eligibility questions.

This can catch frequent travellers by surprise.

Someone may believe their ESTA remains valid because its original expiration date is still months away, but a newly issued passport can change that situation.

Travel to Cuba Can Affect ESTA Eligibility

One of the most consequential rules for international travellers concerns previous travel to Cuba.

A national of a Visa Waiver Program country who has travelled to or been present in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021 is generally no longer eligible to use the VWP and may need to obtain a US visa instead.

Limited exceptions exist, including certain diplomatic or military travel.

This requirement is particularly significant for European travellers who have taken Caribbean holidays involving Cuba and later plan to visit the United States.

Holding a passport from France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK or another VWP country does not override this travel-history restriction.

Travel to Several Other Countries Can Also Affect Eligibility

The restrictions extend beyond Cuba.

VWP nationals who have travelled to or been present in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011 are generally excluded from Visa Waiver Program travel, subject to limited exceptions.

Certain dual nationals can also be ineligible.

This is why travellers should not assume that nationality alone determines whether they qualify for ESTA.

Passport status, citizenship, travel history and other eligibility conditions can all affect the outcome.

ESTA Is Required for Land Entry Too

Another detail sometimes missed by travellers concerns land borders.

VWP travellers seeking admission to the United States by land also need ESTA authorisation.

This is particularly relevant to international tourists combining the United States with Canada or Mexico.

For example, an eligible European traveller taking a Canadian holiday and then crossing into the United States by road cannot assume ESTA requirements apply only to flights.

The authorisation requirement extends to VWP travel by air, sea and land.

Travellers Should Apply Before Departure Day

Waiting until reaching the airport to think about ESTA can create unnecessary risk.

Applications are often processed quickly, but travellers should allow sufficient time in case authorisation is not immediately approved or additional action becomes necessary.

US authorities have historically advised travellers to apply well ahead of departure, with processing potentially taking up to 72 hours.

A traveller whose ESTA is refused cannot simply board a flight and resolve the matter at the US border.

If the person still wants to travel, they may need to apply for an appropriate US visa, which is a substantially different process.

ESTA Approval Does Not Guarantee US Entry

This point deserves emphasis because it is frequently misunderstood.

ESTA provides authorisation to travel to the United States and request admission under the Visa Waiver Program.

It is not an admission decision.

When the traveller reaches a US port of entry, Customs and Border Protection officers determine admissibility under US law.

Therefore, phrases such as “guaranteed entry with ESTA” or “ESTA gives automatic entry” are inaccurate.

The same distinction applies to the cities often highlighted in travel stories. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or San Antonio do not individually approve entry under the programme.

Staying Beyond 90 Days Can Create Serious Problems

The 90-day limit is central to VWP travel.

People entering under the programme generally cannot simply extend their stay beyond the authorised admission period.

VWP travellers are also generally unable to change immigration status after entering under the programme.

Anyone who knows before travelling that they need more than 90 days, intend to work, undertake qualifying long-term study or pursue another activity outside VWP rules should investigate the appropriate visa before departure.

The convenience of visa-free travel therefore comes with stricter limitations.

ESTA Does Not Mean Goodbye to the US Visa

Perhaps the biggest misconception surrounding the Visa Waiver Program is that ESTA has somehow replaced the US visitor visa.

It has not.

The programme gives eligible nationals of 42 participating countries another pathway for short tourism and qualifying business trips.

Millions of other international travellers still require visas. Even citizens of VWP countries may require a visa because of travel history, dual nationality, the purpose of their trip, length of stay, ESTA refusal or other eligibility considerations.

Travellers from countries outside the VWP do not become eligible simply by completing an ESTA application.

What Travellers Should Check Before Their 2026 US Trip

Anyone planning a US trip under the Visa Waiver Program should confirm several points before purchasing or finalising travel.

First, check whether the passport nationality is covered by the 42-country programme. Then confirm that the passport satisfies electronic and validity requirements.

Travellers should review whether previous travel to Cuba after 12 January 2021, or relevant travel to certain other restricted countries after 1 March 2011, affects eligibility.

They should then complete the official ESTA process, verify approval before travelling and ensure the intended purpose and duration of the trip comply with VWP rules.

Visa-Free Travel Makes the US Easier to Reach but Rules Still Matter

For eligible travellers, the Visa Waiver Program remains one of the simplest ways to visit the United States in 2026.

Citizens or nationals of 42 participating countries can potentially travel without obtaining a conventional visitor visa, opening access to destinations from New York and Los Angeles to Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, San Antonio and beyond for stays of up to 90 days.

But convenience should not be confused with unrestricted entry.

ESTA is not a visa, approval does not guarantee admission, and VWP travel comes with firm rules governing nationality, passports, travel history, permitted activities and length of stay.

For tourists who satisfy those conditions, ESTA can remove the need for a conventional visitor visa and make a short US trip substantially simpler. For travellers who do not qualify, however, the traditional visa process remains essential.

The most important message for 2026 travellers is therefore not “goodbye to the US visa.” It is much more precise: eligible travellers from 42 Visa Waiver Program countries can continue visiting the United States for qualifying trips of up to 90 days without a visitor visa, provided they obtain ESTA authorisation and meet every applicable US entry requirement.

Spain joins France and more than thirty European nations as the US allows eligible travellers to visit New York, Los Angeles and other US destinations without any visa in 2026 through the Visa Waiver Program with ESTA approval for stays up to 90 days.

In conclusion, Spain joins France and more than thirty European nations as the US allows eligible travellers to visit New York, Los Angeles and other US destinations without any visa in 2026 through the Visa Waiver Program. The programme enables qualifying visitors to enjoy tourism and approved business trips of up to 90 days with ESTA authorisation, creating easier access while maintaining strict entry requirements. However, this opportunity does not replace the US visa system, as travellers must still meet passport, eligibility and security conditions. For millions of European visitors, the VWP continues to provide a simpler pathway to explore the United States while supporting international tourism connections.