ESTA USA: How to Apply for Your Travel Permit Step by Step

Are you one of the lucky ones who can apply for an ESTA to enter the United States? If so, keep reading.

That quick, cheap digital travel permit lets you enter the United States and stay for up to 90 days, without having to deal with the hassle of a traditional visa.

Here we'll show you how to apply for an ESTA easily, with a step-by-step guide. The idea is to answer all your questions and save you time and mistakes on your application.

What are the ESTA and the Visa Waiver Program?

ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

It's an electronic travel authorization that lets citizens of countries included in the Visa Waiver Program enter the United States without having to get a traditional visa.

How long is an ESTA authorization valid?

The ESTA travel authorization is valid for two years from the date of approval, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

During that time, you can make multiple trips to the United States without having to apply for a new authorization.

How long can you stay in the US with an ESTA?

The ESTA electronic travel permit allows stays of up to 90 days per visit.

If you need to stay longer, you'll have to apply for a visa at the US embassy or consulate in your country.

Again, an ESTA does not let you stay in the United States for two years straight. It lets you travel as many times as you want during those 2 years, always with stays of 90 days maximum each.

Countries included in the Visa Waiver Program:

If you're a citizen of these countries, you can get an ESTA 😀:

The Americas:

🇨🇱 Chile is the only country in the Americas that's part of the Visa Waiver Program.

Europe

The citizens of European countries currently taking part in the Visa Waiver Program who can apply for an ESTA are the following:

• Germany
• Andorra
• Austria
• Belgium
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Spain
• Estonia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Finland
• France
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Norway
• The Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Czech Republic
• United Kingdom
• San Marino
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Oceania:

• Australia
• New Zealand

Asia:

• Brunei
• Israel
• Japan
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Taiwan

Citizens of other countries not on this list must apply for a visa to travel to the United States.

In that case, check the requirements with the Consulate of the United States of America (this official guide to U.S. embassies and consulates abroad will help).

Requirements to apply for ESTA

Before you start filling out the ESTA form on the program's official website, check whether you meet the following requirements:

1. Citizenship: You must be a citizen of one of the countries included in the Visa Waiver Program.
2. Valid passport: Your passport must be valid for the entire length of your stay in the United States.
3. Short stay: Your stay cannot exceed 90 days.
4. Purpose of travel: Tourism, business or transit.
5. Return ticket: You need a return ticket or an onward ticket to another country.
6. Prior conditions: you must not have had problems on previous trips under the Visa Waiver Program (for example, overstaying the maximum time allowed).

Keep in mind that when you arrive at any of the New York airports, you will have to provide your biometric data (fingerprints and photographs) as part of the admission process.

If you meet all of these requirements, you can apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) without needing a traditional visa.

Unlike other countries, the United States does not require you to buy travel insurance, but it is highly recommended. Health care there is extremely expensive, and any treatment, however simple, can cost you an arm and a leg.

The ESTA application process

Follow this step-by-step guide to fill out the official online ESTA form quickly and safely:

Apply for ESTA on the official website

Head to the official Electronic System for Travel Authorization website.

Enter your personal information

You will need to fill in basic information very carefully, so double-check every number and detail. The form itself will guide you through it.

Here are the most important details you will be asked for:

• Full name, exactly as it appears on your passport
• Date and place of birth
• Nationality (you will also be asked whether you are a citizen of another country).
• Obviously, your passport number
• You will also have to enter the issue date and the expiration date of your passport.

Information about your trip to the United States

Other key information for getting your application approved involves specific details about your trip, including:

• Your arrival date in the United States.
• What will your address in New York be? The address of the hotel, hostel or vacation apartment where you will be staying works perfectly.
• What is the purpose of your trip? The options are tourism, business or transit on your way to another destination.

Enter your contact details

You will also have to provide a valid email address. This really matters, because your ESTA authorization confirmation will be sent to that email.

They also ask for a phone number.

Answer the ESTA security questions

There are, of course, security-related questions (the same ones asked on the forms for any U.S. visa).

For example:

Have you had any contagious diseases or any medical condition to report?

Do you have a criminal record or have you taken part in terrorist activities? (yes, they really ask that!)

What really matters is answering every one of these questions honestly, however odd they may seem.

If any of your answers is yes, they will probably ask for more information, but that does not necessarily mean your application will be rejected.

Double-check the information you entered on the ESTA form

Once you have completed every field on the form, remember to review your details several times before submitting it.

Any mistake can get your application rejected or cause problems when you enter the U.S.

If you need more help, there are agencies that specialize in visas and will support you through the process of filling out the ESTA (for a modest extra fee).

Pay for the ESTA application

Finally, you will need to pay the ESTA application fee ($21 USD as of 2024) with a credit or debit card.

Wait for your ESTA authorization

Once you have submitted the application and paid, you will usually get an answer about approval or rejection within 72 hours at most.

If more than 72 hours go by, check your spam folder. You can also check your application status on the official ESTA platform.

It is a good idea to print the approval email, since the airline counter might ask for it at check-in. That said, all the information is stored online, so you do not need to show anything printed when you arrive in New York.

What to do if your ESTA application is rejected

In that case, you will have to apply for a visa at the corresponding U.S. embassy or consulate.

Since getting a visa is not something you can do in a couple of days, it is vital to apply for the ESTA as early as possible, for example, as soon as you are sure of your travel dates and have bought your ticket. That way you will have time to apply for a visa if it comes to that.

The difference between ESTA authorization and a visa

ESTA authorization and a visa are very different documents.

To be clear: the ESTA does not replace a visa, it is simply a travel authorization for citizens of the countries that are part of this U.S. program.

If you are a citizen of a country that is not part of the Visa Waiver Program (which is the case for most Latin American countries), a visa is still mandatory.

That said, if your country belongs to the Visa Waiver Program and you already have a valid visa, you do not need to apply for an additional ESTA authorization.

Tips for applying for an ESTA

✍️ Apply for your ESTA well ahead of time: it usually gets approved within a few hours, but don't count on it. Apply as soon as you have your flights booked!

🔠 Always remember that the details must match your passport.

🛃 Make sure your passport is valid for your entire stay. If it's close to expiring, it's better to get a new one before applying for the ESTA.

🆕 You'll need to apply for a new ESTA if you change passports, change your name, sex or nationality, or if any of your answers to the eligibility questions change (for example, if you decided to become a criminal 🤣)

What happens if my ESTA expires while I'm in the US?

No problem at all. What matters is that your ESTA is valid when you enter US territory.

More frequently asked questions about applying for the ESTA

You'll find answers to other frequently asked questions about getting an ESTA on the E-Visados website, a visa agency accredited by IATA with good reviews from users who wanted more hand-holding through the process.

As you can see, getting the Visa Waiver Program ESTA is straightforward, but you have to pay close attention to the details. If you follow the steps I just laid out, I'm sure your application will go through without a hitch.

Have a great trip and enjoy New York to the fullest!