Anyone wishing to travel to the United States needs to consider which travel document to obtain. There are two options, in the form of a U.S. tourist visa or an ESTA authorization application. Although clearly more practical, ESTA is not accessible to all categories of travelers. Let’s take a look at the ESTA conditions conditions in detail, to better understand who this authorization is intended for.
ESTA requirement Visa Waiver Program
The first ESTA requirement is to be part of the Visa Waiver Program set up by the U.S. government. This program, currently made up of 38 countries, allows nationals of a member country to be exempted from having to apply for a tourist visa at the U.S. embassy. The list of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) member countries can be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website. This list is subject to change by U.S. authorities, depending on their homeland security policies. Check that you are a citizen of a member country before applying for an ESTA.
ESTA authorization requirements Passport
Another ESTA authorization requirement is to have a valid passport, in compliance with U.S. government requirements. The ESTA is an electronic travel authorization, so it is linked to the holder’s passport number. For this link to be possible, the passport must be biometric or electronic.
A recently-issued French or European passport is normally fitted with an electronic chip, capable of containing the owner’s identification details (fingerprints, facial and retinal recognition).
If you do not have a biometric passport, you must apply for a tourist visa. Please note that an emergency passport is not accepted by the U.S. authorities in the ESTA authorization requirements. Obtaining a valid passport or having one renewed can take more than a month. So be sure to take this into account when planning your trip to the United States.
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the start date of your stay in the United States.
ESTA requirements: the reason for your trip
One of the ESTA requirements is the reason for your stay in the United States. Firstly, ESTA is only available for tourist or business travel.
It is therefore not possible to work, intern or study in the USA.
Secondly, your stay must not exceed 90 days. If you intend to stay longer, or even immigrate to the U.S., you’ll need to apply for an immigrant visa or permanent resident card (green card).
Note that you must also have an ESTA if you are simply transiting the U.S. to your final destination.
ESTA requirement: Internet connection and credit card
To apply for an ESTA for the first time, you need an Internet connection. To speed up processing, the US government has decided that the entire process will be carried out online.
So there’s no need to go to the U.S. embassy to submit your application, as everything is done by filling in an ESTA form on the Internet.
To access this online form, you can either go to the government website or use the services of a private site that will handle the application and formalities for you.
Another ESTA condition is to provide a valid credit card to cover the cost of your application. The price of an ESTA varies according to the service provider used.
If you don’t have access to an Internet connection, or if you don’t have a credit card, a third party can fill in the form for you. Be aware, however, that only you will be held responsible for the information provided on your behalf.
ESTA requirement: comply with the law
When you fill in the form, you’ll be asked to fill in a lot of your personal details, as well as information about your trip to the USA. The last part is a questionnaire designed to determine whether you represent a threat to the security of the United States of America.
The questions deal with various topics, such as your current state of health, your criminal record and your desire to perpetuate, or not, attacks on U.S. territory.
Don’t take these questions lightly. Answer as honestly as you can, but be aware that answering “yes” to any of these questions means you will not be eligible for the ESTA conditions.
Last but not least condition for ESTA authorization, you must not have visited any of the countries affected by the US administration’s boycott since 2011: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Once accepted, an ESTA authorization is valid for two years, up to the expiry date of your passport. If you plan to visit the U.S. several times, you don’t need to reapply during the validity period. If you obtain a new passport during the validity period, you will have to start the whole process again.
