Since 2009, citizens of countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program have been required to obtain ESTA authorization to travel to the USA. This is an electronic travel authorization issued by the US government. Nationals of 38 countries can be exempted from the USA visa requirement. 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, United Kingdom and Taiwan.
Why do I need ESTA?
The ESTA form is compulsory for nationals of visa-exempt countries like France who wish to travel to the USA. They must obtain it to stay in the USA for up to 90 days. This document was introduced to reinforce US homeland security in the context of visa waiver.
Nationals are not required to have a visa. They do, however, need to obtain a travel authorization before departure, and choose a means of transport by sea or air. The government has drawn up a list of approved airline and shipping companies. It doesn’t matter whether the traveler is an adult or a child. In all cases, they must apply unless the child is under 8 months old. Both parent and child must have a biometric or electronic passport. The passport must be valid for the duration of the tourist trip.
With an ESTA, you can travel for tourism, business or transit to another country. You can only enter the U.S. if you complete the form online. You can complete the ESTA form via the official government website, or via a private website. Unlike the USA visa, you don’t have to go to the American embassy or consulate to obtain it.
ESTA USA travel authorization options
You will receive an automatic response to your ESTA authorization request. There are three possible responses. The American authorities grant you ESTA authorization: you can travel immediately. You receive a pending authorization, which means that you will receive a response to your request within 72 hours. In this case, you can do nothing more than wait. Unauthorized travel, on the other hand, means that you must apply for a temporary visa from the US embassy (or consular authorities).
ESTA for French nationals
To obtain the ESTA document, you need to submit an authorization request on a specialized site. You can do this on the government website or on an independent site. You’ll be guided through the process, and asked to provide all the necessary information. To complete the form, you’ll need a credit card to process your application.
Once obtained, the authorization is valid for two years. You can then make several trips to the USA. However, these trips must be separated by a reasonable length of time. Otherwise, you may be refused entry at the border.
With your ESTA authorization, you can travel to New York, visit the Grand Canyon or see the Statue of Liberty up close.
