By Abiola Olawale
Nigeria is not included in the United States’ Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for 2025, a development which means Nigerian citizens are not eligible for visa-free entry to the US.
This was revealed in the VWP list released by the US Bureau of Consular Affairs on Monday.
The New Diplomat reports that the VWP allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa, provided they meet certain requirements, such as having a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval.
However, Nigeria has never been part of this program, and a recently updated list released by the US confirms it remains excluded,
Significantly, no African countries, including Ghana, or South Africa, were included in the list.
The bureau stated on its website: “Travellers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval before 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.”
A total of 40 countries are eligible under the updated programme:
Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Chile
Czech Republic
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Israel
Japan
Norway
Poland
Portugal
San Marino
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia,
Latvia,
South Korea,
Liechtenstein,
Spain,
Lithuania,
Sweden,
Luxembourg,
Switzerland,
Malta,
Netherlands,
New Zealand,
Qatar,
Romania
Monaco
