United States ESTA
Everything you need to apply for your United States ESTA: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official United States government portalOverview
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, is the United States' online travel permit for citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries. It is not a visa: it is an authorisation to board a carrier and request admission to the United States for short stays, screened against security and law-enforcement databases before you travel. An approved ESTA is valid for two years from approval, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, and allows multiple trips in that period.
Each visit may last up to 90 days for tourism, business meetings or transit. An ESTA does not authorise paid work, study toward a degree, work as a journalist for a US outlet, or permanent residence, which require the appropriate visa. It links electronically to the passport you apply with, so you must travel on that same passport.
Travellers from the roughly forty VWP countries, including most of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia, are eligible provided they hold a biometric passport. If your country is not in the programme, or you have previously been refused a US visa or removed from the United States, you will usually need a B-1/B-2 visa from a US embassy instead. Your ESTA is prepared in your own language and every answer is checked before it is submitted to US Customs and Border Protection.
Requirements in detail
An ESTA asks for less than a visa, and there is no photograph to prepare, but gather these before you begin so every detail matches your travel documents. You need a machine-readable biometric passport, the kind with the small chip symbol on the cover, valid for the duration of your stay; the chip is what lets the authorisation link to you electronically, so a non-biometric passport cannot be used. Have the passport number, its issue and expiry dates and country of issue in front of you.
Know your arrival flight or carrier and a US contact address, where a hotel booking is fine, because the form asks for basic trip information. Be ready to answer a short set of eligibility questions on health, criminal history and any previous US immigration issues; an inaccurate answer is a common reason for refusal, so answer them honestly. A working email address receives the decision, and a payment card covers the single all-inclusive price, with the US government fee itemised on your receipt.
Each traveller, including every child, needs their own ESTA.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Machine-readable e-passport valid for the duration of your stay
- Travel itinerary with your arrival flight and a US contact address
- Email address: your approved ESTA links to your passport electronically, so no printout is required
- Payment card (one all-inclusive price)
How to apply
Applying for an ESTA is done entirely online. First, confirm you qualify: citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries with a valid biometric passport may apply, and if you already hold a valid US visa you travel on that instead. Second, have your passport and your US trip details ready.
Third, complete the form, checking your name and passport number against the passport itself and answering the eligibility questions honestly. Fourth, review the single all-inclusive price and pay; the application is checked for completeness before it reaches US Customs and Border Protection. Finally, the approved ESTA arrives by email and is linked to your passport electronically, so no printout is needed.
One point to note: airlines check your approved ESTA against your passport at boarding, so an authorisation that is still pending can stop you boarding even if you reach the airport on time, which is why it is best to apply as soon as your trip is booked.
On arrival
Your approved ESTA is held electronically against your passport, so you do not need to print anything to board; the airline checks your authorisation when you check in. Even so, it is sensible to save a copy of the approval email or your application number in case of a systems issue. Travel on the exact passport you applied with.
An ESTA authorises you to board and to request entry; the final admission decision is made by a Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of entry, who may ask about your trip, so have your return or onward ticket and your US address ready to show.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: US Customs and Border Protection decides in 1 to 72 hours, and most applications are approved within minutes, though some are referred for manual review. When to apply: CBP recommends submitting at least 72 hours before departure, and the best practice is to apply as soon as your trip is booked rather than waiting until the last day. Airlines verify an approved ESTA against your passport at boarding, so an authorisation that is still pending can stop you from boarding even when you arrive at the airport on time.
VisitPass review: Standard 1 to 3 business days, Rush 1 business day, Super Rush under 6 hours. The application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued once the decision is made.
At a glance
- Validity
- 2 years
- Maximum stay
- 90 days per entry
- Entry type
- Multiple
Who can apply
Citizens of Visa Waiver Programme countries holding a valid e-passport may apply, and each traveller needs their own ESTA. The authorisation is valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and allows multiple entries of up to 90 days each. If you already hold a valid US visa, you travel on that visa rather than an ESTA.
Is this the official application?
VisitPass is an independent travel-document service, not a government website and not affiliated with US Customs and Border Protection. Your application is submitted to the official ESTA system, and the US government fee is paid in full to the issuing authority and itemised on your receipt; the service fee covers preparing the application, reviewing it for completeness before submission, and email support in your own language. You are free to apply directly on the official government site yourself; a guided service completes the same application in a language you read comfortably and checks it before it is sent.
Whether the ESTA is approved is decided solely by US Customs and Border Protection.
United States help desk
Have questions about your ESTA? Email the United States desk and we reply within 24 hours.
usa@visitpass-online.com