FAQ

Who must apply for ESTA? Do I need to apply for ESTA if...?

...I have a visa? No. ESTA is not required for people traveling to the U.S. with a valid visa. However, if you have a visa, but are traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) instead of your visa, then you will need to apply for ESTA. For instance, if you have an F1 visa, but are coming to the U.S. for business or pleasure for no more than 90 days, (and are a citizen of a VWP country) then you would be traveling under the VWP, which requires you to apply for ESTA before you travel.
If you are not a citizen of a VWP Country, you do NOT need to apply for ESTA since the only way to come here is with a visa.

…I am a citizen of Canada? No, citizens of Canada do not have to apply with ESTA under any circumstances.

…I am a Landed Immigrant of Canada? If you are a citizen of a VWP country, and you are traveling by land, you do not have to apply for ESTA. If you are coming to the U.S. by air or sea, you DO have to apply for ESTA. If you are a landed resident of Canada and you are not a citizen of a VWP country, you are required to have a visa, and therefore ESTA does not apply to you.

…I am a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States and a citizen of a VWP country? No, you do not need to apply to the ESTA Program.

…I am a citizen of a VWP country and am visiting the U.S. from Canada or Mexico? If you are coming by land, you do not need to have ESTA authorization. If you are flying into the U.S. or arriving by sea, you do need to apply for ESTA.

…I am a citizen of a VWP country and am only transiting the U.S. by air? You must apply for ESTA even if you are only transiting the U.S. by air. In the address field of the application, write "In Transit."

…I have dual citizenship from both a VWP country and a non-VWP country? If you are flying under the terms of the VWP, (including never having been denied a U.S. visa in your non-VWP country of citizenship) and are using your VWP passport, you must apply for ESTA. If you are using your non-VWP country's passport, you will require a visa and therefore ESTA does not apply to you.

…I am a citizen of a VWP country and am going to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands? Yes, ESTA is required for travel to these locations.

…I am traveling with an infant who is a citizen of a VWP country? Even infants must have their own ESTA authorization number.

I forgot my ESTA application number. How can I log back into the system to update my information or check my application status?

If a traveler loses, forgets, or does not have access to his or her application number or travel status, he or she may retrieve the application number, beginning September 8, 2010, through the ESTA website by entering the applicants name, date of birth, passport number and passport issuing country.

If I am in Canada or Mexico and want to drive to the U.S., do I need to apply for ESTA?

No. If you are a citizen of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), and you enter the U.S. by land from Mexico or Canada, you are only required to complete the paper I-94W form at the land border crossing. ESTA is currently required for air and cruise ship travel only.

If arriving by cruise ship, you will need to apply for ESTA. A list of approved cruise lines is available on the first page of the ESTA application in the list of carrier codes under “travel information”. Although the title reads, "Airline and Flight number", cruise lines are listed as well. If you are arriving in a private sailing vessel, you must have a valid U.S. visa and therefore ESTA is not required. Visa Waiver travel is not available to travelers arriving on private boats.

How do I know if my ESTA application was approved? Will you send me an email?

When you apply for ESTA, in order to get your authorization status, (and proof that your application was successfully submitted) you must click "Next" after you receive your application number. We will not send you a separate email or other verification that you have applied for ESTA or whether your application was approved. That final "Next" page provides the only notification you will receive. If you received approval before September 8, 2010 and did not print out or write down your application number, which is needed in order to update your application or check your status, you will need to reapply. If you received approval on or after September 8, 2010 you may retrieve the application number through the ESTA website by entering the applicants name, date of birth, passport number and passport issuing country.

Is there a fee for a travel authorization?

Yes, there is a fee associated with the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. The fee is comprised of two parts:

Processing Fee: All applicants requesting an electronic travel authorization are charged for the processing of the application.

Authorization Fee.:If your application is approved and you receive authorization to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, an additional $10.00 will be charged to your credit card. If your electronic travel authorization is denied, you are only charged for the processing of your application.

CBP is not responsible for any additional fees that may be charged by your credit card company for the transaction.

How do travelers pay the fee?

All payment must be made by credit card or debit card at Pay.Gov. The ESTA system currently accepts only the following credit/debit cards: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and Discover. You may also have a third party, such as a relative or travel agent, pay the associated fees for each application.

Payments can also be made with a debit card that holds the VISA or MasterCard symbol. Please check with your bank on compatibility of your debit card. We are continuing to explore other payment measures for the future.

What types of privacy protection exist on the website?

Pay.Gov uses advanced encryption to protect transactions while applicants are logged in. When accessing a profile, any account numbers applicants have entered will be masked on screen.

How long are ESTA approvals valid?

Each approved ESTA application will be valid for a period of two years unless the traveler's passport expires sooner. It allows for multiple visits to the United States within that application.

If I have a valid ESTA, will I have to re-register when the new fees go into effect?

No, existing ESTA registrations remain valid for travel through their expiration date. The fee will only be required for new registrations on or after September 8, 2010.

Do VWP travelers arriving in the United States from a non-VWP country an ESTA?

All VWP travelers arriving by U.S.-bound airplane or vessel, regardless of their country of origination or port of embarkation, require an approved ESTA.

Can prospective travelers apply for an ESTA without specific travel plans if they want to be able to travel to the United States later on short notice?

Yes. VWP travelers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States before they apply for an ESTA. If a traveler’s destination in the United States is unknown when he or she completes the ESTA application, the traveler should enter “Unknown.” Travelers may update this information when their plans are finalized, but they will not be required to update their destination addresses or itineraries should they change after their ESTA application has been approved. DHS recommends that ESTA applications be submitted as early as possible, as soon as, or even before travel is planned. ESTA will accept applications from last-minute and emergency travelers – those VWP travelers who arrive at the airport without an approved ESTA.

What information is needed in order to complete the ESTA application?

The traveler must provide, in English, biographical data including name, birth date and passport information. The traveler also must answer VWP eligibility questions regarding communicable diseases, arrests and convictions for certain crimes, past history of visa revocation or deportation and other questions. The traveler will also need their credit card information to pay the associated fees in order to complete the ESTA application.

There are third-party entities already working in VWP countries that charge a processing fee to assist travelers in completing the ESTA online form.

The implementation of a government-based fee for ESTA is likely going to result in additional confusion to international travelers. How can this be mitigated?

The Department of Homeland Security worked with the travel and tourism industry to inform international travelers that the original ESTA program online application form was free. DHS and industry will continue to promote the official U.S. government ESTA website and discourage travelers from using the third-party organizations to complete the easy ESTA application. This will increase the likelihood that VWP travelers will know where to find the correct internet address for the official U.S. government ESTA website and that the only ESTA fees required will be those collected during the online application process.

How can applicants correct a mistake when completing their ESTA applications?

The ESTA website prompts applicants to review the data submitted for the overall application prior to submission. In addition, the ESTA website requires the applicant to reaffirm the passport number, family name and country of citizenship prior to submission. If an applicant makes a mistake when filling out the passport or biographic information, and he or she realizes the mistake only after having submitted the ESTA application, he or she needs to submit a new ESTA application. The associated fee will be charged for each new application submitted. Mistakes made in answering the VWP eligibility questions may be corrected by contacting the CBP Customer Service Center at 1-877-227-5511 depending on what question the mistake was made. Mistakes on e-mail address, telephone number, carrier, flight number, city of embarkation, and address while in the United States may be corrected or updated by using the ESTA update function. There are no associated fees for updating an ESTA application.

Do travelers need to update their ESTA if it will expire before they depart the United States?

If an ESTA expires before the traveler leaves the United States, the traveler is not required to apply for another ESTA. However, the traveler will need to apply for a new ESTA for future travel.

How can I see the data I entered? Can I print out the information I entered?

The ESTA website will prompt applicants to review the data submitted for the overall application prior to submission. The applicant will be able to print out the entire application and their ESTA status upon completion of the application. Once the browser is closed, the applicant will only be able to print out their ESTA status by retrieving their application. It will not be possible to print the entire application once the browser is closed. DHS recommends that travelers print out the ESTA application response to record their ESTA application number and to confirm their ESTA status.

If a VWP traveler has received ESTA approval, does he or she also need to fill out an I-94W?

The implementation of the ESTA program allows DHS to eliminate the requirement that VWP travelers complete an I-94W prior to being admitted to the United States. CBP has transitioned to paperless processing for VWP travelers arriving by air or sea who have obtained an ESTA authorization. Most travelers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program who have an approved ESTA will no longer need to fill out the I-94W form, nor will a green I-94W departure card be placed in their passport. The I-94W form will still be required at the land border.

How can a traveler find out the reason an ESTA application was denied?

DHS has carefully developed the ESTA program to ensure that only those individuals who are ineligible to travel to the United States under the VWP or those whose travel would pose a law enforcement or security risk are refused an ESTA. While the ESTA website provides a link to the DHS Travel Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP) website, there are no guarantees that a request for redress through DHS TRIP will resolve the VWP ineligibility that caused an applicant’s ESTA application to be denied. U.S.

Embassies and Consulates are not able to provide details about ESTA denials or resolve the issue that caused the ESTA denial. Embassies and Consulates will process an application for a non-immigrant visa, which, if approved, will be the only way that a traveler whose ESTA application has been denied would be authorized to travel to the U.S.

Does a traveler ever need to reapply for a travel authorization through ESTA?

Yes, there may be instances when a new travel authorization via ESTA would be required. A new travel authorization may be required in any of the following circumstances:

- The traveler is issued a new passport
- The traveler changes his or her name
- The traveler changes his or her gender
- The traveler’s country of citizenship changes; or
- The circumstances underlying the traveler’s previous responses to any of the ESTA application questions requiring a “yes” or “no” response have changed.

Travel authorization approvals will typically be granted for a period of two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever is sooner. ESTA will provide validity dates upon approval of the application. Therefore, a traveler must apply for a new travel authorization when a prior ESTA authorization or an applicant’s passport expires. The associated fee will be charged for each new application submitted.

May I take side trips to Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands within the 90-day limit?

Travelers participating in the VWP must make their initial entry into the United States aboard one of the participating carriers. After their initial entry into the United States, under the provisions of VWP, a foreign national may temporarily depart to, and return from, Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands by car or other carriers as long as the total stay in the United States and the time accrued in contiguous territory and/or adjacent islands does not exceed 90 days.

Embassy of the United States Budapest, Hungary

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FAQ About the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)