ESTA Application for Citizens of San Marino

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Country:

San Marino

Capital: San Marino
ESTA Required: YES

The United States of America accepted San Marino to join its Visa Waiver Program in 1991. It meant that citizens of San Marino could travel to the U.S. with a travel authorization instead of a regular tourist visa.

In 2009, when the United States launched its online platform, the “Electronic System of Travel Authorization” (ESTA), citizens of San Marino could merely go online to apply for their travel document granting admittance into the United States. The ESTA lets citizens of countries accepted into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enter the U.S. for up to 90 days. The trip has to be for business, tourism (including medical purposes), and for attending non-credit study programs. An approved ESTA is valid for two years and can be used multiple times.

ESTA is different from a visa and is less time-consuming to obtain since a visit to a U.S. Embassy is not required. Visiting the U.S. for more than 90 days or for other purposes than those states would require a tourist visa. Take note that San Marino’s closest U.S. Embassy is located in Florence.

U.S. Immigration statistics for San Marino visitors

  • The total amount of visitors from San Marino: 751
  • Approved ESTA applications: 692
  • Students and exchange visitors: 16
  • Temporary workers and family-related applications: 6
  • Diplomats and other official representatives: 30
  • Other types of visitor categories: 0
ESTA Application

Information about traveling to the U.S. from San Marino

When leaving the exquisite enclave of San Marino to travel to the United States, there are several options for you to choose from; However, it should be noted that San Marino does not have an airport. Therefore, you must travel to an Italian airport to fly to the United States.

Flying from Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi Airport

  • Travel Information: Taking the motorway to the airport – you have to take the Autostrade Italia, the SS72 before getting off at the Casello A14 Rimini Sud toll, paying €12 ($13,4 USD) before continuing to a roundabout, getting off at the A14 exit onto the Autostrada Adriatica, which you will travel on for 105km (approximately 1hr of travel time), arriving at Guglielmo Marconi Airport.
  • Flight Information: The cheapest flights from San Marino (via Bologna airport) are flights to New York, Miami, and Chicago, all coming in under USD 700.

Flying from Florence’s Peretola Airport

  • Travel Information: Taking the motorway from San Marino to Florence’s Peretola Airport is similar to the one you will take to Bologna and will take you past Bologna en route. Taking the
  • same way to the A14, you need to follow the A14 till it merges with the A1/E35 roundabout and follow the A1/E35 for 45 kilometers before taking the A11/E76 exit to Aeroporto Firenze. • Flight Information: Flying from Florence (or Ancona, for that matter) to the United States is the second-most expensive of the three options, with flights to New York’s JFK airport coming in at just over $1000 (USD), with most flights having one stop at either Rome, Zurich, or Frankfurt Airport.

Flying from Ancona

  • Travel Information: Flying to the United States from Ancona means that you will be heading down the Adriatic Coast. It is the shortest of three car journeys, at approximately 1h and 15m long, traveling along the A14. You will pay the exact toll if you go in the other direction.
  • Flight Information: Flights from Ancona to the United States are among the most expensive flights, often reaching thousands of dollars. However, they fly to either coast of the United States and a total of eleven U.S. cities.

When should citizens of San Marino apply for ESTA?

It became mandatory to apply for an ESTA at least 72 hours before boarding a U.S.-bound airplane in December 2018. It is, therefore, advisable for citizens of San Marino to apply as early as possible before traveling to the United States of America. If an application is denied, much time might be needed to apply for a tourist visa as a trip to the nearest U.S. Embassy would be required. If you have already planned to visit the U.S., it is better to apply as soon as possible.

Travelers from San Marino with an approved ESTA can check its status or make updates. Visit these pages for additional information: Verify ESTA, Update ESTA.

Below is an example of a travel authorization if the ESTA application is approved:

Quick facts

  • Citizens of San Marino can apply for ESTA online
  • The ESTA is valid for two years for visitors from San Marino
  • Citizens of San Marino can stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA
  • San Marino’s overstay rate is only: 0.41%