But for tourist and business trips, as noted in a special statement by the US consul in Latvia, Steven Fram, it is enough to have a biometric passport and fill out a special ESTA form online. This is a questionnaire in English, mandatory even for children, which asks for passport details, flight number, and address of stay in the US. In addition, it contains questions about past infectious diseases, trouble with the law, and previous trips to the US.
The questionnaire must be filled out no later than three days before the trip. If ESTA rejects the request, you will have to go to the embassy for a visa. However, even if the application is accepted, it does not guarantee entry into the US; the final decision still rests with the customs officer and American border guards.
Despite many nuances, a Latvian parliament member, former Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks, sees only positives in the current situation. In an interview with Gzt.ru correspondent, he listed the main advantages of visa-free travel in his opinion. 'First, traveling will become much easier. Second, in a political sense, we had long abolished visa requirements for US citizens, and this situation was inadequate and unfair. Now the situation has balanced out. Third, it will be much easier to develop business relations between our countries,' he noted. 'For example, local airlines will now be able to fly to the US, something they could not even dream of before. And fourth, the abolition of the visa regime with the US puts Latvia on a par with other European countries.'
Despite the benefits, Latvian citizens did not rush to buy tickets for the nearest flights to the US. Tourism professionals explain this by caution related to the economic situation. In the next six months, in their opinion, Latvian citizens will be looking around and checking prices. By summer, the situation may change.
The US plans to further expand the visa-free entry regime. Negotiations are ongoing with Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Poland, and Romania.
Alexander SHUNIN.
Gzt.ru