ESTA USA 2026 — How to Apply, Cost & Approval Time

ESTA USA: What It Is and Who Needs It

ESTA USA is the Electronic System for Travel Authorization: an online pre-screening that lets citizens of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries travel to the United States for tourism, business or transit for up to 90 days without a visa. It costs $40.62, lasts two years and is issued by CBP at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

The "ESTA USA" you see in search results is the same single program: a short online application that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uses to decide whether a Visa Waiver Program traveler may board a US-bound flight. You need it for a holiday, business meeting or short family visit of 90 days or less; you do not need it if you already hold a valid US visa, are a US citizen or green card holder, or are not from a VWP country.

ESTA is not stamped into your passport — approval is stored electronically against your passport number and verified by the airline at check-in. Confirm your nationality with the free ESTA eligibility checker, or read the US visa guide if ESTA is not the right route.

What is ESTA?

ESTA is an automated system run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). It is not a visa — it is a travel authorization linked electronically to your passport. Airlines verify your ESTA status when you check in; without an approved ESTA, VWP travelers are not allowed to board a flight or ship to the United States.

ESTA replaced the old paper landing card (I-94W) for VWP travelers and has been mandatory since 2009. The application takes about 10 minutes, is completed entirely online, and is designed to screen travelers before they board — so the border interview in the US can be quicker. Think of it as a pre-approval to board; the final admission decision is still made by a CBP officer when you arrive. Our related authorization guides explain the same concept elsewhere in the world: the UK ETA for US citizens and ETIAS for Europe.

Who Is Eligible for ESTA?

You can apply for ESTA if you meet all of the following conditions:

• You are a citizen of one of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries (full list below).
• You hold a valid e-passport (with the biometric chip symbol on the cover).
• Your trip is for tourism, business, or transit and lasts 90 days or less.
• You do not already hold a valid US visitor visa.

Important restrictions: Travelers who have been present in Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, or Cuba on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited exceptions), and dual nationals of VWP countries and Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria, are generally not eligible for ESTA and must apply for a visa instead.

US citizens do not need ESTA — ESTA is only for foreign nationals entering the US. If you are a US citizen traveling abroad, see our guides to the UK ETA for US citizens, ETIAS for US citizens, and visa-free countries for US passport holders. If you are unsure whether you qualify for ESTA or need a visa, run your profile through the free ESTA eligibility checker.

US ESTA Application: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

The US ESTA application is one online form with around seven screens, taking about 10 to 15 minutes. Gather first: your e-passport, an email address, your home address and phone, the US address where you will stay (or "In Transit" plus your final destination), an emergency contact, a card or PayPal, and the nine eligibility answers.

The nine eligibility questions

These current yes/no questions (verified on esta.cbp.dhs.gov, October 2026) must be answered truthfully — a false answer can make you permanently ineligible:

1. A physical or mental disorder, drug abuse or addiction, or a specified communicable disease such as cholera, infectious tuberculosis or viral hemorrhagic fevers?
2. Ever arrested or convicted for a crime causing serious damage to property or serious harm to a person?
3. Ever violated a law on possessing, using or distributing illegal drugs?
4. Sought to engage, or ever engaged, in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage or genocide?
5. Ever committed fraud to obtain, or help others obtain, a visa or entry to the United States?
6. Currently seeking employment in the US, or previously employed there without US government permission?
7. Ever denied a US visa, refused admission to the US, or withdrawn an application for admission?
8. Ever stayed in the United States longer than the admission period granted?
9. Traveled to or been present in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011?

The seven screens

1. Applicant information: name, date of birth, gender, country and city of birth, citizenship, national ID, address, phone and email, as in your passport.
2. Passport details: passport number, issuing country, issue and expiry dates.
3. Travel information: the US address where you will stay, a point of contact and an emergency contact.
4. Eligibility questions: the nine yes/no questions above.
5. Review: check the passport number and your date of birth.
6. Payment: the $40.62 fee by card or PayPal.
7. Status: "Check ESTA Status" with your passport number, date of birth and application number.

Visa Waiver Program Countries (42)

Citizens of these countries can apply for ESTA instead of a B1/B2 visa for short US visits. All 42 are listed by region:

Israel (2023) and Qatar (2024) are recent additions, so older lists showing only 40 countries are out of date; Romania was designated in January 2025 but rescinded in May 2025. VWP eligibility is based on citizenship, not residence.

ESTA USA Official Site: How to Spot Scams

There is exactly one official website: esta.cbp.dhs.gov, operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP's own FAQ asks why a traveller was charged more than the official fee — because you used a third-party site.

Tells of a reseller or scam site:

• The domain is not .gov — official US government sites end in .gov, not .com, .org or .net.
• The price is higher than $40.62; resellers often charge $50 to $100 for the same application.
• It uses "urgent" or "guaranteed approval" language — CBP confirms a private service does not speed up approval.

What to do if you already overpaid

If your ESTA was genuinely submitted, the authorization stays valid even if a reseller charged more. The extra money is a commercial dispute: try the company, then dispute the charge with your card issuer or PayPal, and report the site to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Compare the real fee on our visa fee calculator.

ESTA Cost in 2026

The official ESTA fee is $40.62 per application, paid as a single charge by credit or debit card on the official site. The fee rose from $21 to $40 on 30 September 2025 and was adjusted to $40.27 on 1 January 2026. The $40.62 adjustment took effect for applications on or after 16 October 2026 (Federal Register, October 1, 2026). Payment is by credit or debit card on the official site. Families or groups applying together pay $40.62 per person — each traveler, including infants, needs their own ESTA.

Warning about third-party sites: many commercial websites imitate the official ESTA page and charge $50–$100+ for the same application. The only official address is esta.cbp.dhs.gov (a .gov domain). If a site charges more than $40.62, it is not the US government. Compare this with other authorization fees in the region using our visa fee calculator — for example the UK ETA costs £20 and ETIAS costs €20.

Payment Methods and Fees

CBP accepts payment by credit card, debit card or PayPal. The cards currently accepted are MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover (including JCB and Diners Club). Your application is not processed until payment is received.

Under the HR-1 fee structure the $40.62 authorization fee is the sum of three parts, confirmed in the Federal Register notice of October 1, 2026 (91 FR 62534): a $17 travel authorization fee, a $10.62 cost-recovery fee for administering the ESTA system, and a $13 fee on each travel authorization. From October 16, 2026 the total rises to $40.62 ($17 + $10.62 + $13); only the cost-recovery component changed, from $10.27 to $10.62. A denied application is charged only that portion: $10.62 today, up from $10.27 before 16 October 2026.

ESTA fees are non-refundable, and paying does not guarantee approval. A single application must be paid within 7 days of submission; a group within 7 days of the second application. Each traveler still pays the full $40.62.

ESTA Validity & Stay Limits

An approved ESTA is valid for 2 years from the approval date, or until your passport expires — whichever comes first. Within that period you may enter the US multiple times, but each stay is capped at 90 days, and your travel pattern should not suggest you are living in the US (the "pretextual" trips rule — repeated back-to-back 90-day stays can trigger refusal at the border).

You must apply for a new ESTA if you get a new passport, change your name, change your country of citizenship, or if any of your previous eligibility answers change. An ESTA that is still valid is not affected by travel to other countries, but travel to the restricted countries listed above will invalidate it.

If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, ESTA is not the right tool — you need a visa. See the USA visa guide for the full list of visa categories, and the tourist visa guide for B1/B2 details.

How to Apply for ESTA — Step by Step

1. Go to the official site: esta.cbp.dhs.gov (check the .gov domain before entering any information).
2. Have ready: your e-passport, an email address, your home address and phone number, an emergency contact, and a credit/debit card for the $40.62 fee.
3. Complete the form: biographical data, passport details, travel plans (US address where you will stay), and the eligibility/security questions. Answer honestly — false answers can cause permanent ineligibility.
4. Pay the $40.62 fee and note your application number.
5. Check your status on the same site. Most applicants receive a decision within minutes; allow up to 72 hours.
6. Print or save the approval — carry a copy with your travel documents even though airlines check it electronically.

Assembling the rest of your trip paperwork? The document checklist tool builds a full US trip document list — passport, ESTA confirmation, itinerary, and insurance documents.

Is ESTA a Visa? The "ESTA Visa" Confusion

Search "esta visa" and you will find many pages calling ESTA a visa. It is not. CBP states plainly: "No. An approved ESTA is not a visa."

ESTA is a travel authorization. You apply online, there is no interview, and nothing is placed in your passport — approval exists only electronically, linked to your passport number. It lasts up to 2 years and each visit is capped at 90 days.

A US visa is a physical document. It requires a DS-160 application, a $185 fee and an in-person interview at a US embassy or consulate, and a visa foil is printed in your passport. A B1/B2 visa allows stays of up to 6 months per entry and is typically valid 10 years.

When you actually need a visa instead

You need a visa if you are not a VWP citizen, plan to stay longer than 90 days, intend to study or work, have been refused admission or overstayed, or were denied an ESTA.

So "ESTA visa" is shorthand, not a legal category. If you need the real thing, start with the US visa guide. To compare authorization-style documents for other countries, see ETA vs visa in 2026 and ETIAS vs ETA vs ESTA.

ESTA Processing Time

Most applications are decided within minutes. CBP officially recommends applying at least 72 hours before travel, and you cannot board without an approved ESTA. Do not wait until the airport.

For comparison with full visa timelines, see visa processing times 2026 — B1/B2 interviews currently wait weeks to months depending on the embassy (live numbers in US visa interview wait times 2026). That speed difference is the main reason ESTA matters. Plan your overall document timeline with the visa timeline calculator.

Checking Your ESTA Status

Check your ESTA status at any time on the official site, esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Select "Check ESTA Status" and enter your passport number, date of birth and application number; for a group, choose "Check Group Status" and use the Group ID.

What the statuses mean:

• Authorization Approved: valid, normally for 2 years or until your passport expires.
• Authorization Pending: CBP is still reviewing; this can take up to 72 hours. Do not submit a duplicate application while a decision is pending.
• Travel Not Authorized (Denied): you are not eligible under the Visa Waiver Program and will need a US visa — see the denial section below.

Run your details through the ESTA status checker tool before you travel.

At the US Border — What Happens with ESTA

Having an approved ESTA gets you on the plane; admission is decided at the port of entry:

1. Airline check-in: Your ESTA is verified electronically against your passport before boarding. No valid ESTA = no boarding pass.
2. Arrival: Most VWP travelers use an automated passport control kiosk or the CBP One app for primary inspection. Have your passport ready.
3. Interview: A CBP officer may ask about your purpose of visit, length of stay, accommodation, and return plans. Keep your flight itinerary and hotel bookings accessible.
4. I-94 record: Your entry is recorded electronically with an admission date and departure deadline (usually 90 days). Check your I-94 record after arrival to confirm the stamped date.
5. Departure: There is no exit stamp for air travelers — CBP receives departure data from airlines. Overstaying harms your future ESTA and visa applications.

Common ESTA Mistakes to Avoid

• Using a third-party site: Paying $50–$100 for a service that only forwards your data. Only esta.cbp.dhs.gov charges the real $40.62.
• Applying with a non-e-passport: Your passport must have the chip symbol. Renew first — see the US passport renewal guide (or your country's equivalent).
• Transit stops in restricted countries: Travel to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and similar countries after March 2011 makes you VWP-ineligible without a visa waiver.
• Assuming ESTA = entry: It authorizes boarding only; see the border section above.
• New passport = old ESTA invalid: A new passport number automatically voids your ESTA — reapply ($40.62).
• Wrong ESTA answers: Criminal history or prior immigration violations must be disclosed. False statements can cause lifetime ineligibility.

Applying as a Family or Group

Every traveler needs their own approved ESTA, including infants and children, because the authorization is tied to a specific passport — there is no joint ESTA that covers a family, and children of any age require an independent approval.

That said, CBP offers a group application: one person creates a Group ID with their name and email, then enters biographic data for up to 50 travelers. Each traveler still receives an individual ESTA and pays the individual $40.62 fee, but the group can be submitted and paid together within 7 days of the second application.

Key points: one payment can cover the group, but the fee is still $40.62 per person; a third party such as a relative or travel agent may apply on a traveler's behalf; and children's data must match their own passports. Confirm each passport with the eligibility checker, and read the ESTA for UK entry guide.

If Your ESTA Is Denied

An ESTA denial is not a permanent ban. Your next step is to apply for a B1/B2 visitor visa at a US embassy or consulate — see our complete USA visa guide. You will need to complete Form DS-160 (see the DS-160 step-by-step guide), pay the $185 MRV fee, and attend an interview. Check the current interview wait times for your city before planning.

Common reasons for ESTA denial include prior overstays, certain travel history, criminal records, or errors on the form. You must disclose a prior ESTA denial on any future US visa application. Use the US visitor visa checklist to assemble your B1/B2 documents, and track overall timelines with the USA visa processing times page.

ESTA Denied: What To Do Next

If your ESTA is refused, CBP returns "Travel Not Authorized". It is not the end of your trip, but it changes the route you must take.

Why denials happen. Usually one of the nine eligibility answers: a prior overstay, a criminal record or drug violation, an earlier visa refusal or removal, immigration fraud or misrepresentation, unauthorized employment, or travel to a restricted country on or after March 1, 2011.

There is no appeal. ESTA has no administrative appeal. You can file a DHS TRIP redress request, but CBP warns redress may not resolve the VWP ineligibility, and embassies cannot explain or overturn the decision.

The visa path and timeline. Apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa (DS-160, $185 MRV fee, interview). A 214(b) refusal is possible, and an INA 212(d)(3) waiver is discretionary where an independent ground of inadmissibility exists; no waiver simply fixes an ESTA denial. The denial is instant, but the visa route is not — check US visa interview wait times and the US visitor visa checklist, then follow the US visa guide.

ESTA vs B1/B2 Visa — Which Do You Need?

If you are eligible for ESTA and your trip is under 90 days for tourism or business, ESTA is faster and cheaper. You need the B1/B2 visa if you are not from a VWP country, plan longer stays, need to study or work, or were denied ESTA. Travelers on work paths should instead review the work visa complete guide and category pages like H-1B, L-1, or J-1. Students need an F1 — see the student visa guide.

ESTA vs B-1/B-2 Visa: Full Comparison

The table below compares the two routes on the points travelers ask about most: cost, validity, stay length, interview, work and refusal.

Choose ESTA when you qualify for the Visa Waiver Program and your trip is 90 days or less. Choose a visa if you are not from a VWP country, need a longer stay, plan to study or work, or have been denied ESTA. Our US visa guide and visa fee calculator can help you plan further.

Frequently Asked Questions