esta.cbp.dhs.gov | Dhs.gov

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ESTA website provides information regarding Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a program that enables eligible travelers to apply for authorization to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) before their visit.

This website is intended for people who want to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States without first obtaining a visa. Visitors must apply through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) system prior to arriving in the United States. This site contains information about how to apply for permission to use ESTA

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

• You are a citizen or eligible national of a Visa Waiver Program country.
• You are currently not in possession of a visitor’s visa.
• Your travel is for 90 days or less.
• You plan to travel to the United States for business or pleasure.
• You want to apply for a new authorization for one person or a group of applications for two or more persons.

WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY?

• Valid passport(s) from a Visa Waiver Program country.
  List of Visa Waiver Countries
• Traveler’s valid email address.
• Traveler’s home address and phone number.
• Traveler’s emergency point of contact phone and email.
• Payment method:
  Fee for application is $21.00 USD.
  Valid payment methods include MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover (JCB or Diners Club only), and PayPal.

The following information may also be required:

• Traveler’s aliases or other names (If Applicable).
• Traveler’s National ID or Personal ID number (If Applicable).
• Traveler’s Global Entry ID number (If Applicable).
• Traveler’s employer address and phone number (If Applicable).
• Traveler’s U.S. point of contact name, address, and phone (If Applicable).

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ESTA AND A VISA?

An approved travel authorization is not a U.S. visa. It does not meet the legal or regulatory requirements to serve in lieu of a United States visa when a visa is required under United States law. Individuals who possess a valid visa will still be able to travel to the United States on that visa for the purpose for which it was issued. Individuals traveling on valid visas are not required to apply for a travel authorization.

WHAT IS THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION (ESTA)?

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or security risk.

ESTA approval authorizes a traveler to board a carrier for travel to the United States under the VWP. Private carriers must be a signatory visa waiver program carrier. See list of Signatory Carriers. CBP recommends that you apply for ESTA at the time you book your travel, but no less than 72 hours prior to boarding.

ESTA is not a visa. It does not meet the legal requirements to serve in lieu of a U.S. visa when a visa is required. Travelers that possess a valid U.S. visa may travel to the United States on that visa for the purpose it was issued. Travelers traveling on valid visas are not required to apply for an ESTA. In the same way that a valid visa does not guarantee admission to the United States, an approved ESTA is not a guarantee of admission to the United States.

ESTA became mandatory January 12, 2009. VWP applicants are required to complete a blue Customs declaration upon arrival in the U.S. whether or not they have an ESTA authorization. VWP travelers are no longer required to complete the green I-94W card.

Approved ESTA applications are valid for a period of two years, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and multiple trips to the United States without the traveler having to re-apply for another ESTA. When traveling to the U.S. with the approved ESTA, you may only stay for up to 90 days at a time – and there should be a reasonable amount of time between visits so that the CBP Officer does not think you are trying to live here. There is no set requirement for how long you must wait between visits.

Travelers whose ESTA applications are approved, but whose passports will expire in less than two years, will receive an ESTA valid until the passport’s expiration date.

A new ESTA authorization is required if:

• You are issued a new passport,
• You change your name (first and/or last)
• You change your sex
• Your country of citizenship changes
• Your circumstances change, e.g., you are convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or you develop a contagious disease. Such a change may require you to get a visa to travel to the U.S. You must re-apply and your application must reflect the change in your circumstances or you may be denied entry upon arrival in the United States. More information about other ineligibilities can be found on the U.S. State Department website

DHS recommends that you apply for ESTA authorization as soon as you know you will be traveling to the United States under the VWP. If your ESTA expires while in the U.S., it will not affect your departure.