ESTA is an electronic registration system that requires travelers who are part the Visa Waiver Program, (VWP), from 27 countries to register before they board a plane or cruise ship bound for the United States.
As of January 12, 2009, the ESTA program was in effect.Registrants may include family members, travel agencies and friends. The ESTA has been discontinued as a free service. Payments for electronic travel authorization applications must now be made with a debit or credit card.Once all information has been received, your application will not be processed.
It is best to register 72 hours before the departure of your trip. However, it is possible to register any time prior to departure.It is possible to depart for the United States at any time, even if you are not registered in advance.
The registration is valid for two years. Multiple entries are allowed.You can update your data at any time.In most cases, you will receive an answer within minutes.If authorization is not granted, the applicant will have to visit an embassy or consulate in order to obtain a visa.The ESTA authorization doesn’t guarantee access to the United States.
After an application has been submitted and processed successfully, no email confirmation will be generated.For future reference, we recommend that you print the confirmation page or keep a copy of your application number.
How do I verify that my ESTA remains valid?
To retrieve your ESTA authorization numbers and expiry dates, check the status of any ESTA applications you have before traveling to the United States. You can easily check the ESTA expiry dates, ESTA validity, and retrieve your ESTA number by filling in the form with the passport details and first and last names of the applicant. If your application is still valid, you will receive your ESTA status and authorization number. The ESTA validity test can return five statuses. These are described below and in the video.
Approved ESTA Authorization
This means that your authorization is valid to travel to the United States.Take note of the expiry dates and the ESTA number. Make sure you have valid ESTA before you travel to the U.S.
ESTA Application Not Authorized
This happens when your ESTA request has been processed. You are no longer allowed to travel to the United States as part of the Visa Waiver Programme.You may still be eligible for a B-2 Tourist Visa.
You will need to email the ESTA technical assistance team if you make a mistake in your ESTA application.
ESTA applicants need to check the status of their application to see the ESTA expiry dates. They also need to get the ESTA authorization numbers to ensure they can travel to the United States.
