What is ESTA travel authorization?
Has visiting the United States of America always been one of your dreams? It’s true that among the many states that make up the USA, there’s something for everyone: a road trip in the American West, a visit to New York, lazing on the beaches of Florida, and so on.
However, as you know, the U.S. authorities are committed to the security of their country and to combating illegal immigration. With this in mind, the government has decided to step up security measures at its borders. It’s only logical that the Visa Waiver Program should see increased control of arrivals on American soil. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) therefore introduced the ESTA travel authorization. What is it? Who is this authorization intended for? What are the conditions for obtaining it? Find the answers below.
Why did the US government create ESTA?
The September 11 attacks prompted the United States to rethink its entry procedures. A report by the Presidential Commission on the subject suggests a strengthening of national security for stays made under the Visa Waiver Program, of which 41 countries are signatories. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security created ESTA, the Electronic System of Travel Authorization, with this in mind.
Nationals of signatory countries still benefit from the advantages of the Visa Waiver Program, but must obtain authorization from the American authorities before departure. These foreign nationals do not need to apply for a visa, but are required to fill in the ESTA form, which is an online form. Anyone eligible can apply for authorization via the official U.S. government website or a private site(source).
ESTA authorization eligibility criteria
As ESTA is a security measure, it is logical that certain conditions must be met in order to obtain it.
To obtain an ESTA, you must :
- be from one of the 41 VWP participating countries. The countries concerned are : Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Poland, Croatia, United Kingdom and Israel (since October 2024);
- not be a citizen of a country whose nationality is prohibited by the U.S. government (Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan);
- have a valid electronic or biometric passport ;
- going to the USA for tourism, business or transit;
- stay in the USA for a maximum of 90 days;
- travel by air or sea with an approved company;
- meet the safety requirements set by the US authorities.
If you don’t meet the ESTA requirements mentioned above, don’t waste your time and money: applying for a USA visa at the US embassy is the way to go. The U.S. visa takes longer to obtain and requires more supporting documents, but it offers many possibilities: living the American dream thanks to the green card, working in the USA, studying at an American university, doing an internship in the USA, and so on.
Obtaining ESTA
The answer to the question “How do I get ESTA?” is simple: you need to fill in the ESTA form. This online form is the only way to obtain an ESTA, so there’s no need to contact the American embassy. You can apply online yourself, either on the official U.S. government website, or via a private website offering personalized assistance. Before looking for this form to fill in, make sure you meet the ESTA authorization eligibility criteria described in our previous paragraph, and that you have a valid passport and payment card.
The ESTA form is divided into 3 parts: your personal information (including social networking presence) and online passport download, details of your trip to the USA and eligibility questions (medical and legal history).
After submitting the form, you will receive a reply from the US authorities within a maximum of 72 hours. The answers may be: travel authorized, authorization pending or application refused.
ESTA validity period
Once you’ve obtained your ESTA, you should be aware that it is valid for two years. At least, that’s its official validity. In practice, ESTA validity depends on passport validity. So, if your passport expires within a year of your application, the expiry date of the ESTA and your passport will coincide. Similarly, if you obtain a new passport, a new ESTA application will have to be made.
If your ESTA expires before the end of your stay in the United States, there’s no need to reapply immediately. Your ESTA authorization must be valid when you arrive in the U.S., not necessarily when you leave.