What is ESTA, and who can apply?
ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. It is used by travellers seeking to visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) rather than with a visitor visa. An approved ESTA is normally required before an eligible VWP traveller boards a US-bound aircraft or vessel, and it is also required for VWP travel at US land borders.
To use ESTA, you generally need to be a national or citizen of a VWP country, hold an eligible e-passport, and plan a qualifying visit of no more than 90 days for tourism, certain business activities, or transit. Your passport must also meet the applicable validity requirements for your nationality.
ESTA is not available for every passport or every trip. A visitor visa may be required if you are not eligible for the VWP, intend to stay for more than 90 days, plan an activity outside the scope of a VWP visit, or will travel on a private aircraft or a carrier that is not approved for VWP travel.
An approved ESTA lets you travel to a US port of entry and request admission under the Visa Waiver Program. It does not guarantee that US Customs and Border Protection will admit you to the United States.
ESTA eligibility: important restrictions to check
Your eligibility is assessed individually through the ESTA application. In addition to passport nationality, previous travel and nationality history can matter.
- Eligible VWP passport: you must normally travel using an eligible electronic passport issued by a Visa Waiver Program country or territory.
- Short, qualifying visit: ESTA is generally for tourism, eligible business travel, or transit, with a stay of up to 90 days.
- Travel history: VWP nationals who have travelled to or been present in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021 are generally not eligible for ESTA. Restrictions also apply to travellers who have been present in the Democratic Peopleโs Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011. Limited diplomatic or military exceptions may apply.
- Dual nationality: VWP travellers who are also nationals of Cuba, the Democratic Peopleโs Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria are generally not eligible to use ESTA.
- US citizens: US citizens, including dual US nationals, cannot use ESTA and must travel to the United States using a valid US passport.
A previous visa refusal, immigration issue, criminal history, or an answer that raises an eligibility concern can also affect whether ESTA is suitable. ESTA is not the place to assume that an exception applies: answer every question accurately and consider a visa application where the VWP does not fit your circumstances.
How to apply for ESTA
The ESTA application is completed online through the official US government ESTA system. You can submit an individual application or create a group application for multiple travellers. A parent, guardian, relative, travel agent, or another third party may submit an application on a travellerโs behalf, but each traveller needs their own authorization.
- Start a new application: choose an individual application or a group application if you are submitting applications together.
- Enter your personal and passport details: use the passport you will use for the trip and check every number, date, and spelling carefully.
- Provide contact and travel information: the application requests contact details, travel-related information, US contact or address information where available, and emergency contact details.
- Answer the eligibility and security questions: answer truthfully and do not guess. Incorrect information can cause serious travel problems.
- Review, submit, and pay: check the full application before payment, then keep your application number and monitor the status online.
What you need for an ESTA application
You do not usually need to have every travel arrangement finalised before applying, but you should prepare the information requested by the official form.
- Eligible e-passport: the passport used for ESTA, including its number, issue date, expiry date, and issuing country.
- Email address: ESTA requires a valid email address that must be verified.
- Personal information: identity, contact, citizenship, and other biographic details requested in the application.
- Travel and US contact details: current travel information, a US point of contact or address where applicable, and an emergency contact.
- Employment details: current or previous employer information may be requested.
- Payment method: payment information for the application fee.
How much does ESTA cost?
The official ESTA charge is currently US$40.27 for each new application submitted. The fee is charged per traveller, including children who need their own ESTA approval. A new application is a new paid application, including when you apply again after obtaining a new passport or replacing an expiring authorization.
Private assistance services may charge their own service fees in addition to the government charge. Check what is included before using any non-government service.
ESTA processing time: when should you apply?
CBP states that ESTA normally returns an application status within 72 hours. Some applications receive an immediate result, but you should not rely on an instant decision or wait until the day of departure.
Apply as soon as you begin making travel plans, ideally well before your trip. This gives you time to resolve a pending result, correct an issue where permitted, or consider a visa route if ESTA is not approved.
- Authorization Approved: you may travel to the United States under the VWP, subject to inspection and admission decisions at the border.
- Authorization Pending: an immediate decision was not available. This is not a refusal; check the status again, as a decision is usually available within 72 hours.
- Travel Not Authorized: you cannot travel under the VWP using ESTA. This does not itself decide whether you may receive a US visa; a visa application may be the appropriate next step.
How long is ESTA valid?
An approved ESTA is generally valid for two years from approval or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. It can normally be used for multiple US trips during that period, provided your circumstances and eligibility remain unchanged.
An ESTAโs validity is not the same as permitted length of stay. Each admission under the VWP is generally limited to 90 days or less. Repeated or lengthy stays can lead border officers to question whether you are trying to live in the United States rather than make temporary visits.
There are exceptions. For example, new ESTA applications for travellers using a Brunei passport have a maximum validity period of one year.
When do you need a new ESTA?
There is no extension process for an existing ESTA. You submit a new application when the current authorization expires or when a change requires a replacement authorization.
- New passport: a new ESTA is required when you receive a new passport, even if the earlier ESTA has not expired.
- Changed identity or nationality details: a new application is required if your name, gender or country of citizenship changes. If your date of birth or other essential passport information was entered incorrectly, you may also need to submit a new application.
- Changed eligibility answers: apply again if an answer to an ESTA eligibility question has changed.
- Applying again before expiry: you may submit a new application before your current ESTA expires. If 30 days or more remain, the ESTA system displays a warning and asks whether you want to proceed. An ESTA cannot be extended or renewed; a new application is required.
Families and children
Every traveller needs their own ESTA approval, including infants and children travelling with a parent or guardian. A family group application can make it easier to submit and pay for several applications together, but it does not create one shared family authorization.
Each child must have their own valid passport and must independently meet the VWP requirements. A parent or guardian completing the form should answer truthfully on the childโs behalf.
Practical ESTA examples
- British passport holder visiting New York for one week: if the traveller meets all VWP conditions and has no relevant restriction, ESTA is normally the appropriate pre-travel authorization rather than a visitor visa.
- French family travelling to Florida with a baby: each family member, including the baby, needs an individual approved ESTA and their own eligible passport before travelling under the VWP.
- Japanese traveller whose passport expires in eight months: an ESTA may be approved, but its validity will generally end when that passport expires rather than lasting the full two years.
- Irish traveller who visited Cuba in 2023: ESTA is generally not available because of travel to Cuba on or after January 12, 2021; the traveller should review the appropriate visa route instead.
- German traveller changing their passport after ESTA approval: the existing ESTA cannot be transferred to the replacement passport, so a new application is required.
Common ESTA mistakes to avoid
- Confusing ESTA validity with a two-year stay: ESTA may be valid for up to two years, but a VWP admission is generally limited to 90 days or less per visit.
- Using an ESTA linked to an old passport: ESTA is connected to the passport used in the application. A replacement passport requires a new ESTA.
- Submitting inaccurate passport details: review the passport number, country of citizenship, issue date, expiry date, and names before submitting. Passport details cannot simply be edited after submission.
- Assuming a family application covers everyone automatically: group submission is an administrative option; every adult and child still needs their own approved ESTA.
- Leaving the application too late: many decisions are quick, but CBP advises allowing time. A pending result can take up to the usual 72-hour processing window.
- Thinking ESTA approval guarantees entry: final admission is decided by CBP at the US port of entry.
What about transit through the United States?
Eligible VWP travellers may generally use ESTA when transiting through the United States. Transit requirements can depend on the passport, itinerary, and whether another travel document is needed, so use the dedicated US layover guidance if transit is the main purpose of your trip.
Check the ESTA requirements for your own trip
This guide covers common ESTA rules, but the correct formality can change based on the passport you will use, previous travel, dual nationality, trip purpose, planned stay, and travel arrangements. Check the entry formalities that may apply to your specific journey with Go2entry before departure.