USA ESTA

USA ESTA General Information

The US ESTA is an electronic system for travel authorization for foreign citizens from the visa waiver program countries. It was implemented in 2009 to simplify the application process and significantly influenced the number of travelers to the country.

The US electronic travel authorization serves as a nonimmigrant visa and allows its holders to visit the United States of America for tourist, business, and transit purposes.

ESTA lets enter the US numerous times within a validity period of 2 years. You can stay in the United States for up to 90 days each time.

The application process is simplified and doesn’t require much effort. An applicant with eligible citizenship should fill out the form, cover the fee via the preferred online payment method, and wait for the approved ETSA to be sent to the email address. The processing time is up to 72 hours.

The USA ESTA is electronically connected to the applicant’s passport, so there is no need to print it out. Passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the intended date of arrival.

Types of ESTA to the USA

USA ESTA is issued in one type, but it meets the needs of most travelers, as it is multi-functional.

ESTA authorization is valid for 2 years and allows numerous entries within this period. A permitted period of stay is 90 days for each visit.

In terms of purpose, though, it can be divided into three types:

• tourism one – for holidays, leisure, recreation, visiting family and friends;
• business one – for participating in meetings, conferences, congresses, trade fairs, and exhibitions;
• transit one – for stopping in the US without any specific reason other than being en route to another destination.

USA ESTA Application Form

You do not have to go to an embassy or consulate and experience the hassle and bureaucracy of getting a regular visa. With our visa services, you can get ESTA from home within several minutes!

The application process takes place online, so all you need is to apply via your phone, laptop, tablet, or PC. Follow this guide to submit ESTA authorization in an easy and speedy way:

• Enter your personal, passport, and travel information in the application form. You are required to provide such data as your name and surname, nationality, email address, arrival and departure dates, etc.
• Attach the necessary supporting documents.
• Pay the ESTA fee. You can choose any available online payment method, as all of them are secured. The US system for travel authorization costs only 79 EURO! As soon as you cover the fee, you’ll receive the confirmation number.
• Check the inbox for the electronic system approval. ESTA is delivered as a PDF document to the email address. It’s important to double-check the email details when applying to avoid issues and delays.

The processing time is up to 72 hours. Even though applicants are usually getting approved in the electronic system earlier, it’s still better to apply a minimum of 3 business days in advance.

Validity period

The United States system for travel authorization stays effective for 2 years. Its validity period starts from the moment of issuance, so as soon as you get an approved ESTA on your email address, you can use it.

During this period, travelers from the visa waiver program countries can enter the USA numerous times and stay in the country for up to 90 days each time.

The US electronic system for travel authorization is connected to the applicant’s passport. Thus, if the passport expires, gets lost, or its data has changed, the ESTA becomes invalid and you should apply for a new one.

You are not allowed to overstay the permitted period. If you do, you may be detained by immigration authorities or even face a ban from future traveling to the USA ranging from 5 to 10 years.

Requirements for the ESTA application

To be eligible for a nonimmigrant visa to the USA, you must meet the minimal technical requirements (have a working device with an internet connection, an ability to pay online, and an active email address) and be a citizen of a country included in the visa waiver program:

• Andorra
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brunei
• Chile
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea, South
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• San Marino
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom

Required documents

Whether you are applying for a tourist, business, or transit type, you must provide your valid biometric passport.

The passport must stay effective for at least 6 months from the planned date of arrival. If it expires or there are any other changes, your ESTA authorization becomes invalid as well.

Requirements on arrival

On arrival, you must present a valid passport of the citizen of a visa waiver program country. It must be the original document, photos or copies are not acceptable.

It is not necessary to print out the USA electronic travel authorization, as it is electronically connected to the passport, and customs officials will request it to check both passport validity and the presence and validity of the ESTA.

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