ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)

ESTA is a pre-arrival electronic travel authorisation required for nationals of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries entering the United States for ≤90 days for business or tourism. Applicants apply via the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) portal at esta.cbp.dhs.gov; approval is typically instantaneous or within 72 hours. The $21 USD fee (as of 2025) is non-refundable, and approval is valid for two years or until the applicant's passport expires, whichever comes first. ESTA is far simpler and faster than traditional visa applications but has important exclusions: nationals who have visited Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Cuba, or North Korea on or after specified dates are automatically ineligible and must instead apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa. Similar pre-authorisation systems exist in other regions: Canada's eTA, the UK's new ETA, and the EU's ETIAS (launching 2026). All these programmes aim to enhance border security by pre-vetting travellers electronically rather than at arrival.