New visa rules for travel to the USA have been widely reported in the UK media over the last few months and many people are confused as to whether they need a tourist visa or not.

At present, British holidaymakers do not need a tourist visa under the US Visa Waver programme and this will continue for UK travellers provided that they hold a machine readable passport (two typeface lines at the bottom of the biographical page) that was issued in the UK before the 25th. October 2004 and is valid at the time of travel. Most UK holidaymakers can therefore continue to travel under the visa waver scheme. This has been extended to October 2005

UK travellers who obtain or renew a UK passport after 26th. October 2004 and before the introduction of biometric data passports will need a visa to enter the USA. This must be applied for in person at the US Embassy at a cost of £67.

ABTA and Visit USA suggest that those travellers whose passports are due to expire during and following the 26th. October changeover date and before 2006 when biometric passports should be available, can avoid potential problems by renewing their passports at any time preceding 26th. October 2004.

In addition from the 26th. October 2004, all children must have their own documentation to enter the USA and can no longer travel on a parent's passport.

A machine readable passport can generally be identified by the presence of two typeface lines printed on the biographical page. This is the page in your passport where your photograph is and the two lines of type run from left to right under the photograph. In 2004 the majority of passport holders in the UK do have this type of passport.