What entry documents (passports) are required?

You do have to meet some requirements in order to use the Visa Waiver Program:

All travelers (including babies and children) must have a passport that
-         has been issued or extended before 26 October 2005 and is machine-readable

-         or has been issued after 26 October 2005 and already includes biometric information (“biometric photograph”).

Important: Since 1 May 2006 temporary passports are no longer valid for travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Program. Holders of these passports have to obtain a biometrically enabled passport or apply for a tourist visa. Regular biometric “express-passes” are usually issued within just a few working days by most passport offices.

German children’s passports (Kinderreispässe) issued before 26 October 2006 are still eligible for Visa Waiver Program travel. Children’s passports issued on or after this day are not eligible for visa-free travel, since they will not be machine-readable. In this case, please apply for a new passport or a visa.

Important: German child IDs (Kinderausweise) will not be accepted for visa-free travel!

German citizens’ passports have to be valid for at least the duration of the stay. Citizens of certain other countries have to have passports that will be valid for at least six months after they leave the US.