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TO ALL LUXEMBOURG CITIZENS
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

We would like to draw your attention to the changes concerning border controls for entering the United States this year and next year.

Beginning October 1, 2003, all citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program of the United States (including Luxembourg) must be in possession of a machine-readable passport to enter the USA visa-free.

Your travel document (passports, visa or green card) is machine-readable if it features two (or three) rows of signs and letters reproducing your personal data (usually on the passports and visas, at the bottom of the page with your picture or on the back side of your green card). Luxembourg has issued machine-readable passports since 1994, but only at the Passport Office in Luxembourg. Embassies and Consulates are only able to issue handwritten passports, which are not machine-readable.

Beginning October 26, 2004, all foreigners with passports or visas issued after that date will have to carry biometric identifiers in their travel documents if they want to enter the United States.

Although there should not be a problem for Alien Resident Card holders ("Green Cards"), we would like to remind you that border controls use computers to check the validity of your passport or green card and that your travel document should be machine-readable to avoid possible delays.

You could be in one of the following situations:

1. You have a machine-readable passport and a machine-readable green card. You will have no problems, related to your travel document, entering the USA.

2. You have a non machine-readable passport and machine-readable green card. There should be no problem to re-enter the United States with your green card. Since, usually, you do not use your passport to re-enter the United States, your passport is still valid as an identification document, but when renewing your passport the next time, you should consider asking the for renewal in Luxembourg (either directly at the passport office or through the Embassy or the Consulate).

3. You have a machine-readable passport and a non machine-readable green card. You should check with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) call center (Tel: 800.375.5283) or your local BCIS office to find out whether you should ask for the renewal of your green card. You may enter (or re-enter) the USA with your passport without presenting your green card, but you will only be allowed to stay in the United States for 3 months.

4. You have a non machine-readable passport and a non machine-readable green card. In order to avoid possible problems and/or delays when re-entering the USA, we would like to invite you to check with your local BCIS office or with BCIS call center (Tel: 800.375.5283) to find out whether you should ask for the renewal of your green card. Your passport is still valid until its expiration date, but it cannot be used to enter (or re-enter) the USA without a visa (or without a valid green card) after October 1 st , 2003.

If you have any doubt or question concerning your Alien Resident Card, we urge you to contact the BCIS call center or your local BCIS office. Should you have a question related to passports, please do not hesitate to contact either the Embassy in Washington, DC, or one of our General Consulates in New York and San Francisco.

Washington D.C.
Tel: 202.265.4171, 202.295.3853
Email: washington.info@mae.etat.lu

New York
Tel: 212.888.6664
Email: newyork.cg@mae.etat.lu

San Francisco
Tel: 415.788.0816
Email: sanfrancisco.cg@mae.etat.lu

We also invite you to spread the word by informing everybody of these new regulations, including family and friends who are likely to visit the United States in the near future. The Department of Foreign Affairs (the Passport Office) in Luxembourg has already publicized these new rules by means of press articles and announcements on TV, but we want to make sure we reach a maximum of people to avoid problems and delays for all Luxembourg travelers at the US border.

The Embassy of Luxembourg

Washington, DC

September 4 , 2003