How to Apply for an ESTA to Visit the United States

The airline refused to check you in, or the "approval" you paid for turned out to be a receipt from a private website. The ESTA is not an airport formality: the carrier checks for an approved authorization in the government system before boarding, and only U.S. Customs and Border Protection issues one.

Check whether you need one

The Visa Waiver Program lets citizens of 42 countries visit for business or tourism for up to 90 days without a visa, and each of them needs an approved ESTA before boarding. Confirm your passport country against the Visa Waiver Program country list on dhs.gov. You also need an e-Passport with an embedded chip, as the CBP ESTA page explains. If your country is not listed, or you plan to work, study, or stay longer than 90 days, apply for a visa instead.

Apply on the official site only

The only place to apply is the official ESTA application portal. Lookalike sites charge several times the government fee to file the same form. The CBP ESTA frequently asked questions state that third-party sites are not affiliated with the U.S. government and do not speed up approval. As of September 2026, the fee shown on the official ESTA FAQ is US $40.27. If a site quotes more, close it.

Apply at least 72 hours before departure

CBP asks travelers to apply as soon as possible and not less than 72 hours before the flight departs. Real-time approvals are no longer given, so applying on the day of the flight risks reaching the airport without a decision. Confirmed travel plans are not required, and CBP recommends applying before buying tickets.

Enter your passport details exactly

Have the passport you will travel with, an email address you can verify, contact and employer details, and a card for the fee. Type the passport number, issue date, and expiry date exactly as printed: the airline matches your passport against the approval on file, and one wrong character breaks the match. A different passport always needs a new application and a new fee.

Check your status and note the expiry

After you submit, CBP emails an application number and a link to check status. Keep both. An approved ESTA is valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, so renewing a passport means applying again.

Know what an ESTA does not guarantee

An ESTA only authorizes you to board a carrier bound for the United States. Admission is decided by the CBP officer at the port of entry, as the CBP Visa Waiver Program page states. Once admitted, your electronic arrival record is available from the CBP I-94 website; the CBP I-94 page notes that visa-waiver travelers arriving by land also need an approved ESTA and can request an I-94 in advance.

If it is denied. A denied ESTA means the Visa Waiver Program is not available for that trip; the route is a visitor visa through a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Sources. Official ESTA application portal, official ESTA FAQ, CBP ESTA page, CBP VWP and ESTA FAQ, CBP 72-hour reminder, Visa Waiver Program on dhs.gov, CBP Visa Waiver Program page, CBP I-94 website, CBP I-94 page.