Our annual vacation to Florida has already been booked again. To enter America, you are required to first register with the US government under the ESTA program (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). This is the application for permission to travel to America that you enter in advance via the internet.
The American Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens from 38 countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, to travel to the US for business or tourism without a visa. ESTA stands for ‘Electronic System for Travel Authorization’. This is an automated system that is used to determine whether it is permitted for travelers who are covered by the VWP to travel to America. Even if you only have a transfer in America and your final destination is another country, you need a valid ESTA. If you are in possession of a valid visa for the US, you don’t need an ESTA.
Applying for an ESTA for America.
The application is very easy. When traveling to the US as a tourist or business traveler for 90 days or less, registration via ESTA is required. Although there are no rules regarding the application period, it is advisable to do this at least 72 hours before departure. Normally you receive approval by e-mail after 1 or 2 days.
IMPORTANT: Your application must be approved before you board the plane. An airline can’t take you without a valid ESTA.
After you have received permission to travel to the US your application is valid for 2 years, after that you will have to apply again. Other reasons when you have to make a new ESTA application:
- New passport (new document number)
- Change of name
- Change of nationality
- Change of gender
- You have reasons to answer certain questions on the application form differently.
The controls at airports in the US are strict. Make sure that you have entered everything correctly and that your document number matches your passport. Good to know and something that often goes wrong, when you doubt whether there is a number 0 or a letter O on your document. There is never a letter O on your passport, it is always the number 0.
In your passport a number o and a letter O looks exactly the same, it happened to me that I had entered this wrong on my ESTA form, gives a lot of hassle, so it’s useful to know that this is always a number o.
Another tip; When traveling with children to the US, they need their own passport, they can no longer be registered in the passport of one of the parents, you also apply for an ESTA for them.
Will you soon be visiting my favorite holiday destination and haven’t yet made an ESTA application? Then ask for your ESTA here Costs € 29.95. You can easily pay with iDeal, bank transfer or with your PayPal account.
XO Frieda.
0This is a sponsored blog post, but all opinions are my own.
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