Washington has unveiled a rule that will force travellers from Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) countries – including Poland – to list all social-media handles used over the past five years when completing the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form. The measure, published on 15 December and due to take effect on 8 February 2026, also demands email addresses from the past decade plus extensive family data. The U.S. Travel Association warns it could have a “chilling effect” on tourism and business travel.
Poles have only enjoyed VWP status since 2019; corporate mobility teams quickly built Polish-U.S. rotations around the hassle-free ESTA model. Requiring employees to publicise personal social-media histories raises privacy concerns and may lengthen pre-trip lead-times, especially for senior executives who would rather keep posts private.
![New U.S. social-media disclosure rule threatens to slow Polish trips under Visa Waiver Programme]()
Polish travellers and the corporate teams supporting them can streamline these added complexities by partnering with VisaHQ. The Warsaw-based service, accessible at https://www.visahq.com/poland/, tracks regulatory shifts in real time and offers a secure platform for completing ESTA and other visa applications, including guidance on the new social-media disclosure requirements. VisaHQ can generate customised checklists, obtain traveller consent to share data, and pre-review applications to minimise the risk of costly refusals.
ESTA already costs US$21 and must be renewed every two years. Mobility advisers expect the new data-fields to increase application-time per traveller from ten minutes to over half an hour, while companies will need written consent to collect and store staff social-media information. Travellers who withhold handles risk authorisation refusals; inaccurate declarations carry the threat of lifetime travel bans.
Polish exporters heading to large U.S. trade shows in spring 2026 should therefore build extra buffer into flight bookings and authorisation timelines. Travel managers are also re-evaluating whether some meetings can be shifted to Canada or the EU to avoid potential U.S. entry delays.
Poles have only enjoyed VWP status since 2019; corporate mobility teams quickly built Polish-U.S. rotations around the hassle-free ESTA model. Requiring employees to publicise personal social-media histories raises privacy concerns and may lengthen pre-trip lead-times, especially for senior executives who would rather keep posts private.
Polish travellers and the corporate teams supporting them can streamline these added complexities by partnering with VisaHQ. The Warsaw-based service, accessible at https://www.visahq.com/poland/, tracks regulatory shifts in real time and offers a secure platform for completing ESTA and other visa applications, including guidance on the new social-media disclosure requirements. VisaHQ can generate customised checklists, obtain traveller consent to share data, and pre-review applications to minimise the risk of costly refusals.
ESTA already costs US$21 and must be renewed every two years. Mobility advisers expect the new data-fields to increase application-time per traveller from ten minutes to over half an hour, while companies will need written consent to collect and store staff social-media information. Travellers who withhold handles risk authorisation refusals; inaccurate declarations carry the threat of lifetime travel bans.
Polish exporters heading to large U.S. trade shows in spring 2026 should therefore build extra buffer into flight bookings and authorisation timelines. Travel managers are also re-evaluating whether some meetings can be shifted to Canada or the EU to avoid potential U.S. entry delays.
