Travel Advisory

U.S. Customs and Border Protection – 03/21/2006

Beginning May 1, 2006, German temporary passports (or emergency passports) will no longer be valid for travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Regular, official and diplomatic German passports (with a digital photo if issued after October 26, 2005) remain valid for Visa Waiver Program travel, per the current VWP passport requirements. Travelers in possession of German temporary or emergency passports who intend to travel to or through the U.S. must either obtain a valid, machine-readable German passport for VWP travel or apply for a visa to travel to the U.S. Germany remains a designated country in the Visa Waiver Program, and its citizens with regular passports may continue to use the program for business and tourism travel to the U.S. Regular full-validity German passports are unaffected by this decision. Working closely with the State Department, DHS will reach out to our travel and tourism partners and the German government to ensure that all German Citizens traveling to the United States are informed about these travel document requirements. For more information about the Visa Waiver Program or how to apply for a U.S. visa, please visit the travel section of the U.S Department of State website ( Travel at the U.S. Department of State ) or the Department of Homeland Security website. ( DHS ) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.