There are a few administrative steps you need to take before traveling to the USA. Are you a foreign national benefiting from the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and have submitted an ESTA application? Can’t find your ESTA authorization, or want to check its status? The formalities for retrieving it are straightforward.
In this article, we explain how to retrieve your ESTA document.
Why search for your ESTA?
Let us reassure you right away, there is no need to worry, because finding an ESTA is not only possible, it’s easy.
Search for find your ESTA should not be motivated by the need to print it. However, this is possible if you wish to keep proof of issue in your personal documents. The ESTA is entirely electronic: it is an electronic travel authorization obtained via an online form, processed by electronic systems which, once the ESTA has been granted, electronically link it to the valid passport. Note that this is only possible with an e-passport or a biometric passport, since both are equipped with an electronic chip. This means you won’t need a copy of your ESTA to board your plane or boat to the United States.
However, it can be handy to find your ESTAYou can then download and print it, for the sole purpose of finding out its expiry date. This way, you’ll know when you need to apply again online.
An authorization ESTA has a valid for two years, allowing multiple entries into the U.S., provided each stay is for a maximum of 90 days, and is for tourism, business or transit. If you change your passport during this period, the ESTA authorization loses its validity, and you must reapply using the data from your valid passport. To reapply for ESTA, you need to fill in the ESTA form, just as you did for your first application.
How to retrieve your ESTA document ?
It is possible to obtain an ESTA for your trip to the USA. To do this, you can contact the private website where you placed your order, and an agent will provide you with the necessary information. If you have the ESTA number, you can also retrieve it in the same way as someone who has ordered their travel authorization from the government website.
To retrieve your ESTA, simply visit the official U.S. government website. If you have your ESTA number, the process is quicker. Simply click on “retrieve application”, then select “I know the application number”. You will then be asked to enter your passport number, date of birth and ESTA application number.
Don’t know your ESTA number? The American authorities have foreseen this scenario and allow you to find your ESTA using only your passport details. The start of the process is similar, except that you must specify “I do not know the application number”. The personal information required is your date of birth, passport number, country of citizenship, passport issue and expiry dates.
From now on, find your ESTA no longer holds any secrets for you! Now all you have to do is pack your suitcase and head for the USA. Don’t forget that to use your ESTA and travel to the USA, you must meet all the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program. If this is not the case, you must apply for a USA visa at the consular services of your nearest American embassy.