Travelling to the US? You need ESTA

Previously, if you wanted to visit or pass through the US on your way to another destination you needed to fill in the green I-94W form given to you by your airline (this was the Visa Waiver Program).

Starting in 2009, the I-94W was replaced by ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. ESTA is an online system that gives you permission to fly to the US without a visa.

You need ESTA approval to visit America US if:

• you are a UK citizen or a citizen of another visa waiver country and
• you are staying in the US for business or leisure for 90 days or less, and
• you are arriving by plane or cruise ship (you do not need ESTA if you plan to drive into the United States from Canada or Mexico)

If you are travelling to the US to work, study or travel long-term, you can’t use ESTA. You need to apply for a visa.

Don’t forget, you still need ESTA approval even if you only plan to change planes in the US. Children also need ESTA.

The application is currently $14, payable on the ESTA website. Applicants who are denied entry are charged $4.

You can apply for ESTA online. You will need to enter your passport information and answer some questions to determine whether you’re eligible for ESTA. Entering your travel information such as your flight numbers is optional, so you can apply for ESTA even before you’ve made your travel plans.

Electronic System for Travel Authorisation information is automatically given to your airline, so you won’t need to bring your ESTA application number to the airport.

Once you have ESTA, it’s generally valid for 2 years. You can make multiple trips to America without having to reapply as long as your original ESTA permission is still valid. You can choose to update your travel information for each trip on the ESTA system, but this is optional.

Here are our top 5 ESTA application dos and don’ts:

• Don’t pay money to an agency to apply for ESTA. Apply directly – in just a few minutes – on the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation website
• Do apply for ESTA early. Apply for ESTA at least 72 hours before your departure, and as soon as you’ve made your travel plans is possible. This gives you plenty of time to arrange a visa just in case your ESTA application is rejected.
• Don’t press the submit button for your ESTA application more than once. You might accidentally submit your ESTA application twice, meaning you have to close your browser and reapply.
• Do make a note of the application number from step 3 of your ESTA application. You’ll need this to update your ESTA information or check on your ESTA status.
• Don’t forget to press the ‘Next’ button at step 3. You won’t get email notification on whether your Electronic System for Travel Authorisation application was approved, so you’ll need to continue to Step 4 to find out if your ESTA application is accepted, denied or pending approval.

Post Office® Travel Insurance is underwritten by Ageas Insurance Limited