ESTA step by step

Last verified: 2026-10-16

An ESTA is the US government’s travel authorisation for the Visa Waiver Program. It is not a visa, and this site does not sell it or lodge it for you. The full entry page is the United States guide.

GOV.UK says a British citizen needs either an approved ESTA or a visa before travel. An approval still does not guarantee that a border officer will admit you.

Before you pay

Read the questions on the CBP form. GOV.UK says you may not be able to use an ESTA if you have been arrested, have a criminal record, have been refused entry or removed from the United States, or have overstayed. You also cannot normally use one if you were in Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 2011, or in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021.

If any of that applies, stop and use the visa route at the US embassy. Travelling on an ESTA when you are not eligible can lead to detention and removal. Some business trips, especially work for a US company, also need a visa rather than an ESTA. CBP says people who already hold a valid visa for that trip do not need an ESTA as well.

The application

1. Use only esta.cbp.dhs.gov. CBP also offers an ESTA app for Android and iOS. A different web address that says “ESTA” is not the application, even if it looks similar.
2. Have the passport you will travel on. It must be an e-passport, with a chip. GOV.UK says it must be valid for the length of your stay.
3. Have a selfie. GOV.UK says CBP now requires one, and that you may need a new ESTA if an older approval does not contain it.
4. Pay on that site. The fee shown there is USD 40.62. CBP says its systems update for this fee takes effect on 16 October 2026, and that unpaid applications still in the system afterwards are charged the new amount. Card brands listed by CBP include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, and PayPal.
5. Each person needs an application, including children. GOV.UK says under-17s may also need a consent letter if they are not travelling with both parents.
6. When it is approved, check the passport number. CBP says an approval is generally valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner. A new passport needs a new ESTA, and you pay again.

CBP recommends applying when you start planning the trip, including before you buy flights. There is no separate “express ESTA” sold by the US government on a private website.

After you arrive

The stay is up to 90 days for tourism or business. CBP says you cannot extend it or switch into another status. Leave on time. The same authorisation is what GOV.UK says you need before admission by air, sea, or land.

If you are also flying through Canada, that is a different authorisation. See the Canada eTA guide.

Last verified: 2026-10-16. Sources: GOV.UK USA entry requirements, esta.cbp.dhs.gov, and the CBP Visa Waiver Program FAQ.

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