Wherever you live, and whatever your nationality, you must always check that you have the correct documentation before you begin any journey to the USA.
As Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the USA, the passport, visa and ESTA requirements are the same for both countries. If you are travelling on our service to San Juan, Puerto Rico please ensure you have the correct documentation before travelling.
US and Puerto Rican citizens must have:
Visitors travelling to the US and Puerto Rico must have:
Please read below to find further information and links to government websites where you can organise the relevant passport and visas required for your trip, including ESTAs.
The IATA Travel Centre website has up-to-the-minute information about what you will need for where you are going. You will be able to find out your health, passport and visa needs for each country that you're visiting. You can also find out customs, currency and airport information for your destination.
Alternatively British Airways has arranged a partnership with VisaCentral, a CIBT company, who, for a service fee, will take the hassle out of obtaining a visa or US ESTA by applying on your behalf, and can also arrange for your passport renewal if necessary, to ensure it is valid for your trip to the US or Puerto Rico.
The US government requires British Airways to collect Advance Passenger Information from all passengers before travel.
You must supply the following minimum information at least 72 hours before your flight's scheduled departure, or you can do it at the time of booking:
Minimum information
*What is a redress number?
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) runs a programme for travellers who have been repeatedly identified for additional screening and who would like to clarify the information held about them in the US DHS systems.
The redress number is the reference number given to people who have applied to clarify their information through this programme, which is called DHS Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP).
If you are travelling from the UK to the USA, you are also required to provide your:
You can fill in this information on ba.com before you travel.
| Who | Travel documents |
|---|---|
| a) US and Puerto Rican citizens | must have a valid US or Puerto Rican passport |
| b) Non-US Citizens who are lawful permanent residents in the US | must have a valid passport and permanent resident card (Green Card) |
| c) All visitors permitted to travel on the Visa Waiver Programme | must have a valid passport and an approved ESTA (Electronic System Travel Authorisation) |
| d) All visitors not travelling on the Visa Waiver Programme | must have a valid passport/travel documents and a US visa |
The Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) allows the citizens of certain countries to travel to the US and Puerto Rico without having to obtain a separate visa, although you must have a valid ESTA (Electronic System Travel Authorisation).
| Andorra | France | Liechtenstein | San Marino |
| Australia | Germany | Lithuania | Singapore |
| Austria | Greece | Luxembourg | Slovakia |
| Belgium | Hungary | Malta | Slovenia |
| Brunei | Iceland | Monaco | South Korea |
| Czech Republic | Ireland | Netherlands | Spain |
| Denmark | Italy | New Zealand | Sweden |
| Estonia | Japan | Norway | Switzerland |
| Finland | Latvia | Portugal | Taiwan |
| United Kingdom | |||
| |||
Each person travelling, including children must:
i) have an e-passport OR a Machine Readable Passport
ii) AND have obtained an approved ESTA.
If not, you will have to obtain a US visa before you travel.
e-passports are easily identified by a symbol on the front cover indicating that the document contains an integrated computer chip, for storing data.
If your passport was issued after 26 October 2006, you must have an e-passport to travel to the US or Puerto Rico on the VWP.
A Machine Readable Passport has the holder's personal details, e.g. name, date of birth, nationality and their passport number contained in two lines of text at the bottom of the photo page. This text may be read by machine.
The two lines of text indicate that the passport is machine readable.
ESTA is the ‘Electronic System for Travel Authorisation’ issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, which allows citizens of certain countries to travel under the Visa Waiver Programme.
Once granted, your ESTA is valid for multiple entries to the US or Puerto Rico for two years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.
We have found that there are some common errors that occur when completing the online ESTA application, so here are some tips to help you through.
Alternatively British Airways has arranged a partnership with VisaCentral, a CIBT company, who, for a service fee, will take the hassle out of obtaining an ESTA by applying on your behalf.
How to apply for a US visa
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires you to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender for the purpose of watch list screening, under the authority of 49 U.S.C. section 114, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and 49 C.F.R parts 1540 and 1560. You may also provide your Redress Number, if available. Failure to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender may result in denial of transport or denial of authority to enter the boarding area.
TSA may share information you provide with law enforcement or intelligence agencies or others under its published system of records notice. For more on TSA privacy policies, or to review the system of records notice and the privacy impact assessment, please see the TSA website at www.tsa.gov.
