Today, ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is the easiest way to travel to the USA. In fact, if your home country is a beneficiary of the Visa Waiver Program, you may be able to apply for this travel authorization.

Documents to enclose with your ESTA application

To travel to the United States, it is not enough to provide an ESTA travel authorization. You must have a valid passport. However, this is not the only condition imposed by the American authorities. To obtain an ESTA, only a biometric or electronic passport is accepted. If you are in possession of an old-generation (machine-readable) passport, you must either renew your passport or apply for a visa at the American embassy.

At the same time, you’ll need a round-trip ticket to show the immigration authorities that you won’t be staying in the U.S. beyond the 90-day limit. Please note that the ESTA document is only valid for entry by air or sea.

Please note that the ESTA is only required for tourist, transit or business travel. If you wish to travel to the U.S. for any other reason, you will need to apply for a visa at the U.S. embassy.

Where and how to fill in the ESTA form?

There are two ways to apply for a temporary residence permit:

• Complete the online form on the official U.S. government website ;
• answer the questionnaire via a private website to help you obtain your ESTA.

Whatever method you choose, the ESTA form is always structured in the same way. The first part is reserved for information on the traveler’s identity. The second part relates to the reasons for the stay in the United States and the characteristics of the identity document (passport number, country and date of issue, etc.). Finally, the questionnaire concludes with a series of closed questions, such as whether you are the carrier of a transmissible disease or have any previous legal convictions.

When you have finished filling in the form, the next step is online payment.

Regardless of the site you choose, you’ll always have to pay for the ESTA document you need to travel to the USA. However, the price may vary from one platform to another.

If your ESTA application is validated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, you are free to travel to the USA for two years. Although its validity is limited, you can renew it when it expires. All you need to do is submit a new application, always making sure you meet the eligibility criteria.

Do I need to print out my ESTA file?

If your ESTA document has been approved, you will officially be able to travel to the United States. As ESTA is an electronic travel authorization, the ESTA file is immaterial. It is therefore not necessary to print it out.

When you board your flight, a simple scan of your e-passport or biometric passport will suffice for the immigration officer to check that you are indeed authorized to stay in the United States.