Netherlands

 

Travel to the USA

Passport requirements for travelers to the US
APIS form
Security measures

 

Passport requirements for travelers to the US

Fingerprints in passport
As per 28 June 2006, the European Union has determined technical specifications for the introduction of fingerprints in passports and other travel documents. Member states must include the fingerprints as of 28 June 2009 in the passports to be issued. Only member states will get access to the secured system with the fingerprint details.

 

Facial scan
Already earlier had been agreed upon the storage of the facial scan in the passport, which will be required as of 28 August 2006. The Dutch government will issue these (new) travel documents as of 26 August 2006. The Dutch travel documents will be provided with a chip in which the facial scan will be stored. The picture that the citizen must submit when applying for a travel document, will be scanned and a digital image of that scan will be stored in the chip of the travel document. Furthermore the chip contains the following information: name, first name(s), date of birth, gender, document number, sofi number (in future: citizen service number) and expiration date of the document. The travel documents will be valid for five years.

 

Digital picture
The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security are reminding visitors that Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries will be required to produce passports with digital photographs by 26 October 2005. The requirement for digital photographs is part of a multi-layered approach to increase the security of our citizens and visitors by ensuring the integrity of their travel documents.

Because the Netherlands currently produces all of its new passports with digital photos, this deadline represents no change in Dutch citizen passport holders’ visa-free travel to the United States.  However, some VWP countries may not issue qualifying passports to all of their citizens by 26 October. More>

 

Travel to the US
The passports that are currently circulating will be valid until the validity date expires. For travel to the United States (US), countries that are part of the Visa Waiver program, of which the Netherlands, have a delay until 26 October 2006. After this date, these countries must also issue passports containing the chip with facial scan. For travel to the US after 26 October 2006, Dutch travelers don’t need to apply for a new passport if their current passport was issued after 1 October 2001, as this passport contains a machine-readable zone.

 

What if the American departure form is still in the passport after you got back from your trip?

If, after you come home, the American departure form I-94 (white) or I94W (green) is still in your possession, this means that your departure has not been registered. You will still need to arrange this. The departure form with supporting proof of your departure from the USA (eg. original boarding pass with departure from the USA, in- or outbound travel stamps from another country, salary counterfoils showing that you have worked in an other country after leaving the USA, bank statements with transactions in an other country after leaving the USA) can be sent to:

ACS-INS SBU
P.O. Box 7125
London, KY 40742-7125
USA

Do not under any circumstance send the departure form I-94 or further information to an American embassy, an American consulate or to another address than indicated above. Only at this address it's possible to make the necessary corrections into the departure details, in order to avoid any inconvenience at future visits to the USA. 

 

APIS form

As of 4th October, 2005, airlines are obliged to transfer the details of the passengers’ first accommodation in the USA to the American authorities. In accordance with this, passengers are asked for additional information that must be registered electronically before departure. This has direct consequences for the handling of passengers travelling to and from the United States. For more information about the transfer of passengers' information, see the amplification of the European Commission.
The following details of the residence in the United States are required for non-US citizens:

  • Street name and number
  • City
  • State
  • Postal Code

 

For passengers residing in the United States and transfer passengers it is not necessary to provide an address within the US.

Transfer passengers with a destination outside of the United States can suffice with “Transit to Non-US country” and the flight number of the connecting flight. If the transfer time within the US is 8 hours or longer, the airline employee will fill in the airport details for the passenger. 

Passengers who are going to make a cruise can suffice with “ Transit to Cruise Line” on the address line, with the addition of the city and state code of the state where the cruise departs, as well as the name of the vessel.

Passengers who are going to rent a car or a camper directly after arrival in the United States, must provide an as complete as possible address of the final destination.

Please find below the APIS forms from airlines to fill in on forehand:

 

Please find below airlines that offer the possibility to enter these details on-line:

 

Security measures

Airlines have sharpened their security measures for a.o. flights to/via London Heathrow and other British airports and/or with destination the USA or Canada.
The measures mostly concern hand baggage. If you're going on a trip we advise you to check the website of the airline you're flying for the most recent information about this subject.

 

American authorities also have taken security measures for air travel to and from the United States.