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Visa Waiver Program ( VWP) to United States

ESTA

Effective January 12, 2009, for travel to or connecting through the U.S.,
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will require all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nationals
to obtain an electronic travel authorization prior to boarding. This new authorization is known as the
Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA.

Refer to the table below for Nationals eligible to travel under the VWP:

Exempted

Exempt from the ESTA requirement are:

  • * VWP nationals who are U.S. residents
  • * VWP nationals who hold a visa for a specific trip to the U.S.

Where
to apply

ESTA applications through the ESTA Web site
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

Special Note VWP travelers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States before they apply for
an ESTA authorization, but it is recommended that an ESTA approval be obtained as soon as a
VWP traveler begins to plan a trip to visit the United States, and no later than 72 hours before departure
to the United States.

There is no cost for the application and once the application is submitted online,
in most cases, ESTA will respond with an almost immediate determination of eligibility for travel.
If approval is not granted prior to check-in, boarding may be denied.
Passengers may experience delayed processing, or denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.
At this time it is not fully known what role carriers will play in ensuring the customer has obtained ESTA approval.


  • Approval will be valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is earlier
  • Once ESTA approval has been granted, it is not necessary for the VWP national to obtain approval before each trip within the two years (unless a new passport is obtained)
  • An ESTA is not required for Guam or Saipan
  • An ESTA may be denied due to: overstays, previous criminal history, issues associated with a prior visa
  • Receipt of ESTA is not valid for travel

    More information may be found in http://www.cbp.gov/esta




Nationals of the following countries are currently eligible to travel under the VWP:

Andorra Denmark Iceland Lithuania* Portugal Spain
Austria Estonia* Ireland Luxembourg San Marino Sweden
Australia Finland Italy Monaco Singapore Switzerland
Belgium France Japan The Netherlands Slovakia* United Kingdom
Brunei Germany Latvia* New Zealand Slovenia
Czech Republic* Hungary* Liechtenstein Norway South Korea*

* ESTA required from November 17, 2008.