ESTA FAQ

The application for the US entry permit is complex and throws up some questions. Here are the answers to the most common ESTA questions!

You are not required to print your ESTA application and bring it with you to the USA, but we highly recommend it. There are advantages to having your authorized ESTA printed out and with you while traveling:

• If you happen to have made a mistake in your ESTA application, it is easier to spot when your ESTA has been printed than having to log in to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to check your data.
• In general, the airlines have the necessary software to electronically check if you are traveling with an ESTA. In case of a technical failure, it is always better to have your ESTA printed and on hand.
• Printing your ESTA can help you answer questions asked by the border officer. The answers you give to the border officer should be the same as those in your ESTA.

Should you apply for your ESTA through the USA experts on the website esta-application.com, we will e-mail your travel authorization to you immediately. In addition, you can retrieve it online in your customer account at any time, print it again, and take it with you for your trip to the USA.

There are many reasons why an ESTA application may be denied. In most cases, ESTA applications are denied because the applicant does not meet the requirements to travel visa-free to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program. Though the reasons are various, there are two main reasons:

1. ESTA denied because of mistakes in the data given

It is easy to make a typing mistake, especially if you are in a hurry. If your application has been denied, you should carefully check your application and see if there is a mistake in your name, passport data, date of birth, etc.

2. ESTA denied despite correct data

Have you double-checked your ESTA application and are confident there are no mistakes? And despite this, your ESTA has still been denied? There are a few reasons for this:

• You have the same name as someone who the US authorities are keeping an eye on.
• You are a dual citizen of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, or North Korea.
• You answered “yes” to one of the security questions.
• A previous visa or ESTA application was denied.
• In the past, you have stayed in the USA longer than allowed on your ESTA or visa.
• You are a US Green Card holder and can, therefore, travel to the USA without restrictions - even without ESTA.

The US authorities will not tell you why your ESTA application was denied. Instead, you will receive a status update notifying you that your ESTA has yet to be authorized. That is why it is essential to double-check your application for possible mistakes and, if necessary, ask to have your ESTA application reset.

If you have two nationalities, both must be included in the ESTA application, even if you only have one passport. If you do not disclose a nationality, you risk that your ESTA will be rejected.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may store your data internally for a maximum of one year after the ESTA expires. After that, all information is archived for another 12 years. It will then no longer be accessible for a new visa or ESTA application and may only be viewed after special authorization for law enforcement, national security, or investigative purposes.

Many factors come into play when applying for an ESTA with a previous conviction. That is why having a conviction does not fundamentally lead to your ESTA application being denied. It is of utmost importance, however, to be truthful in your ESTA application and list all previous convictions.

Whether or not an ESTA Visa will be denied depends on the type of crime you committed. For example, if it was only a minor traffic offense that happened long ago, the chance that your ESTA will be authorized is very high. On the other hand, felons or repeat offenders will be denied entry into the USA.

esta-application.com will only share your information with the DHS in the context of the ESTA application and never with any other third party. However, the Department of Homeland Security reserves the right to share information with other agencies and organizations for the duration of internal storage, particularly for law enforcement or visa application processing.

Airlines and shipping companies will generally not have access to any information from your ESTA application. They can only access the status of an ESTA application within the Advance Passenger Information System, the APIS.

The National Identification Number is a serial number requested during the ESTA application process, but not every applicant has it. In some countries, there is no National ID Number at all, so ESTA applicants use the serial number of their ID card. You can find it both in the machine-readable part of your ID document and the top right corner of the front.

The term overstay is assigned to people who stay in the USA longer than their travel authorization or visa allows. An overstay can lead to negative consequences when trying to reenter the United States or applying for a US visa later.

In rare cases, the US authorities may revoke an ESTA authorization that has already been issued even before the two-year validity period expires. The reasons for this can be, for example, the behavior of the traveler (such as travel to countries classified as "risky," violations of US immigration laws, or illegal work in the USA), similarity of name with a wanted criminal, loss of the passport or simply technical difficulties on the part of the US authorities.

On the applicant's part, however, an ESTA cannot be revoked but must always be reapplied for if something has changed in the personal data or passport data. In an existing ESTA, only the e-mail address and the specified address in the USA can be changed subsequently. An ESTA authorization is generally valid for two years.

ESTA generally only needs to be reapplied for every two years unless your passport expires before that or you apply for your ESTA with a passport from Brunei or Hungary (in which case your travel authorization is only valid for one year). You may enter the USA visa-free with your ESTA as many times as you like within the validity period for a maximum of 90 days at a time!

Yes, you need a valid ESTA for your Caribbean cruise if it departs from an American port or your flight stops over in the USA.

Citizens of the following countries can apply for ESTA:

¹ The validity period of an ESTA authorization for travelers from Brunei was reduced from two years to one year, effective July 6, 2023.

² The validity period of an ESTA authorization for Hungarian travelers was reduced from two years to one year, effective August 1, 2023. Additionally, Hungarians are now allowed only one entry into the U.S. per ESTA and must provide a Hungarian birth certificate for the ESTA application.

³ For all references to "country" or "countries," it should be noted that Taiwan is included, as the U.S. has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan since 1979.

⁴ To travel under the VWP, British citizens must have the unrestricted right of permanent residence in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

To qualify for visa-free entry with ESTA, you must travel with a carrier that has agreed to participate in the Visa Waiver Program. This is the case with almost all airlines and shipping companies.

However, if you are traveling to the USA on a private jet, private plane, private ship, or private yacht, for example, you cannot use an ESTA and you will need a US visa.

Your data is, of course, safely stored with esta-application.com and is transmitted to the US authorities with modern end-to-end encryption. From the time of transmission, your data is subject to the laws and regulations of the USA, such as the Federal Information Security Management Act.

The US authorities take up to 72 hours — sometimes even longer — to process an ESTA application. Real-time ESTA approvals are no longer possible! We recommend that you apply for your ESTA 6 - 8 weeks before your USA trip so that you still have enough time to switch to a US visa in case of a rejection.