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The change in duration of entrance and stay in the Electronic System of Travel Authorization (ESTA) in the US Visa Waiver Programme, for Greek travellers will come into force as of today, 06/04, after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Greek Police and the US Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.
Restoring ESTA to a two-year duration, is a decision by the US Department of Homeland Security, in recognition to the progress Greece has made in the area of application of the PNR legislation, but also in the fight against terrorism and border protection.
The term PNR, Passenger Name Record data, means the air passenger information and personal data lists, for example travel dates, schedule, contact info and other data collected during booking reservations and check-in.
According to the Ministry of Citizen Protection, the subject of the Memorandum is the provision of technical assistance, from the US side, for the implementation of the provisions of Law 4579/2018 (obligations of air carriers concerning passenger files) which incorporates the European Directive on the use of the data contained in the passenger name records for the prevention, detection, investigation and persecution of terrorists and serious crimes.
From now on, Greek businessmen and tourists will be able to renew their 90-day permit to enter and stay without a US consular visa, every two years, instead of the one-year that was in force up until now. This time period is the maximum stipulated limit.
For more information on the Visa Waiver Programme and for updates on the ESTA biennial status update, interested parties can visit: https://gr.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/.
