Filling in the ESTA form is the quickest and easiest way to travel to the USA.
There are a few conditions to meet in order to be eligible to travel to the USA, including being a national of a country participating in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
To receive the ESTA document, the applicant must apply online via a form.
We’ll show you how to fill it in so that you can receive your ESTA and travel to the USA.
Why do I need ESTA authorization to travel to the USA?
It’s impossible to travel to the United States without applying for authorization, either an ESTA or a USA visa.
The ESTA is mandatory in certain cases:
- the traveler belongs to one of the VWP member countries;
- a valid passport, whether biometric or electronic;
- he travels by plane or boat to the United States;
- the length of stay must not exceed 90 days;
- the temporary stay must be part of a tourist, business or transit trip.
If you meet all these eligibility criteria, you can complete the online form and travel to the United States.
If you don’t, you’ll need to go to the U.S. embassy to apply for a visa before you can hope to visit the country.
ESTA form: where to find it?
There are many sites on the web offering to issue you an ESTA USA.
You’re probably familiar with the official U.S. government website, which offers a multi-stage ESTA form.
Although this form takes longer to complete and is more complex, as you have to fill in a number of fields and answer a number of close-ended questions, the price is lower, as you only pay $14.
On the other hand, you can request your document from a private website, which will take care of the whole process for you, and send you off to the USA.
If you use this method, there’s a good chance you’ll receive your authorization, as the people handling your request are used to it.
They will collect, verify and forward your application to the American authorities.
Of course, this service comes at an additional cost.
ESTA application form: how to fill it in?
To receive your ESTA authorization, you’ll need to fill in an online form. If you order it from a specialized site, all you need to do is provide very basic information, such as your first name, surname, electronic or biometric passport number and e-mail address. On the U.S. government website, on the other hand, in addition to this information, you’ll need to provide an emergency contact, an address during your stay in the U.S., and answer yes or no questions about your state of health and your conduct under the law. Please note that if you answer yes to any of the questions on the form, you will not be eligible for authorization. On all sites, you must pay a certain amount to validate the submission of your online questionnaire. The answer arrives quickly, sometimes within a few minutes, sometimes longer, but most of the time within 72 hours. There are only two explanations for a rejected request:
- you do not meet the criteria, you must apply for a USA visa at the US embassy;
- you made a mistake when filling in the ESTA form.
You simply have to wait 10 days before applying again.
Good to know: an ESTA is valid for two years from the time you receive approval from the American authorities.
But if your passport expires in the meantime, you’ll need to renew your ESTA and pay the fee again.