Traveling with an ESTA

If your electronic travel authorization is approved, this approval establishes that you are eligible to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, but does not guarantee that you are admissible to the United States. Upon arrival in the U.S. you will be inspected by a Customs and Border Protection officer at a port of entry who may determine that you are inadmissible under the Visa Waiver Program or for any reason under United States law.

Unless revoked, travel authorizations are valid for two years from the date of authorization, or until your passport expires, whichever date comes first*. The Authorization Approved screen displays your travel authorization expiration date.

This means that as long as you received an ESTA authorization to travel, you do not have to reapply during the validity period.

If your ESTA expires while in the U.S. it will not affect your departure.

Note: Is it important to PRINT a copy of the document for your records. The printout is not required upon arrival into the United States, as the officers have the information electronically.

Receiving ESTA authorization does not mean you may stay in the U.S. for two years. It only allows you to travel to the U.S. under the terms of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which only allows you to stay in the U.S. for 90 days or less. If you plan to stay for longer than 90 days, you must obtain a visa at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

*If you obtain a new passport or change your name, gender or country of citizenship, you will be required to apply for a new travel authorization. This is also required if one of your answers to any of the VWP eligibility questions changes.

No. DHS will be able to communicate a traveler s ESTA status to the carriers. However, DHS recommends that travelers print out the travel authorization application response in order to maintain a record of their traveler authorization application number and to have confirmation of their ESTA status.

U.S. regulation does NOT require a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) traveler to present a printed copy of the ESTA authorization page in order to travel. However, it is recommended that you print a copy for your records. If you applied for ESTA and you have forgotten your application number, you may retrieve the application through the website by entering the applicants name, date of birth, passport number and passport issuing country.

A new travel authorization may be required in any of the following circumstances:

• The traveler is issued a new passport
• The traveler changes their name
• The traveler changes their gender
• The traveler s country of citizenship changes; or
• The circumstances underlying the traveler s previous responses to any of the ESTA application questions requiring a "yes" or "no" response have changed.

Travel authorization approvals will typically be granted for a period of two years or until the applicant s passport expires, whichever is sooner. ESTA will provide validity dates upon approval of the application. Therefore, a traveler must apply for a new travel authorization when a prior ESTA authorization or an applicant s passport expires. The associated fee will be charged for each new application submitted.

If your ESTA has expired, you must reapply by submitting a new application. Existing authorizations cannot be extended.

You do not need to wait until your ESTA expires to reapply. You may do so at any time. Should you receive the message "A valid, approved application with more than 30 days remaining has been found for this passport. Submitting this application will require payment for this application and will then cancel the existing application." you will simply continue to begin your new application. Your prior ESTA will be canceled and replaced with your new application.

ESTA approvals are granted a two-year period or until the applicant s passport expires, whichever date comes first. The approval is good for multiple entries – meaning you may use it for more than one entry into the U.S. ESTA provides validity dates upon approval of the application.

If you provided ESTA with your email when you applied, you will receive an expiration notice when your ESTA is about to expire. The email will advise recipients to go to the web site to reapply. See sample notice below:

The Travel Authorization to the United States for Jane Roe with passport number XXXX has expired.
If you have renewed your passport, you can renew your Travel Authorization for an additional 2 years, using our automated system which will allow you to obtain your new Atuhorization in aprox. one minute.
Remember to print your new Travel Authorization and have it with you at the airport.
If you already renewed your ESTA with a new passport please ignore this message.

Your approved ESTA is valid for multiple entries into the U.S. over a two-year period. Exceptions to this validity period include applicants whose passports will expire before the two year validity period is complete - in which case the ESTA approval is only granted until the expiration date of the Passport.