An ESTA travel authorization allows you to travel to the United States without having to apply for a visa. But to be eligible for ESTA, you need to meet several conditions.
ESTA authorization requirements
The country you come from must be a member of the Visa Waiver Program. The Visa Waiver Program is available to nationals of the following countries, 38 in all:
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, Taiwan and United Kingdom.
If you’re a citizen of one of these countries, you can do without a visa and apply for an ESTA form online. There is one condition: you must not also be a citizen of Iraq, Iran, Syria or Sudan.
Be aware of the other ESTA criteria, which are just as important:
- plan a trip to the USA of up to 90 days;
- travel to the USA for tourism, business or transit;
- use an airline or shipping company approved by the U.S. authorities;
- be in possession of a valid biometric or electronic passport;
- not represent a threat to American homeland security.
If you meet all these criteria, you can apply via the ESTA form. This can be obtained from the official U.S. government website, or from a private site. Private sites have the advantage of being managed by a team of experts who can check and validate all your answers to the ESTA form before validating the application.
ESTA form completion steps
To complete your ESTA authorization, you’ll need to apply online. You can’t apply for an ESTA at an American embassy or consulate, as you can for a USA visa. On the government website or on a private website, you’ll see the steps to follow to ensure you get your authorization. To do this, you’ll need to follow the instructions and answer the questions posed on these sites, while declaring your identity precisely.
The ESTA questionnaire is divided into different categories. First, you must answer questions about your identity: your surname, first name, date and place of birth, nationality… You’ll also need to provide the number of your biometric or electronic passport, as well as its date of issue and expiry. You will also be asked to state the reason for your trip.
You’ll then find a series of closed questions you’ll need to answer in order to complete your stay in the USA. The purpose of this ESTA questionnaire is to identify whether you represent a potential threat to US national security. These questions concern your criminal record (sentences, terrorist acts) and medical history (contagious diseases, drug addiction).
Once these conditions have been met, your authorization application will be processed, and you’ll receive an almost immediate response. Except in the case of a pending authorization, where you’ll have to wait 72 hours. That’s why we recommend you apply for ESTA at least three days before you travel to the USA, to make sure you get your document in time.
How much does it cost to apply for an ESTA form?
If you plan to travel to the USA and fill in an online form from a specialized website with personalized assistance, you should expect to pay more than on the official site. The difference in price is explained by the additional services offered.
Whether you choose an intermediary or the U.S. government website, the price of the ESTA will always be lower than a visa you have to collect from the U.S. embassy.
The ESTA visa form and how it works
Although the ESTA travel authorization allows certain privileged individuals to travel without a visa, this document is not an American visa. In fact, it’s simply a document certifying that you can travel to the United States by air or sea. What’s more, once you’ve entered the country, you may be refused entry, even if there’s no reason for this to happen. The customs authorities will always have the last word at the border, despite your request for authorization in due form.
Can I make more than one trip?
One of the big advantages of the ESTA document is that you can travel as many times as you like during the 2-year validity period. The rules are simple: you can’t stay for more than 90 consecutive days. But if you return to France and organize a second trip later, you won’t need to apply for a visa. After these two years, or if you have a new electronic or biometric passport, you’ll need to apply again.
Bon voyage!
