ESTA: how the US travel authorisation for Visa Waiver Program visitors works

ESTA and the Visa Waiver Program

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) lets citizens of listed countries visit the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without a visa ¹. The State Department lists 42 participating countries, among them Australia, Chile, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and most EU states ¹. British citizens must have the unrestricted right of permanent abode in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man ¹.

ESTA is the online screening that VWP travellers complete before travel. Congress required an automated travel authorisation system in the 9/11 Act of 2007. The Department of Homeland Security created ESTA by rule in June 2008, and it became mandatory for VWP travellers arriving by air or sea on 12 January 2009 ³. ESTA collects the details needed to judge whether a person is eligible to travel under the VWP and whether the trip poses a law enforcement or security risk ³.

VWP travellers must hold an e-passport with an electronic chip. That rule covers emergency and temporary passports used for VWP travel ¹. Before the pandemic, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) approved about 15 million ESTA applications a year ³.

Who cannot use ESTA

A 2015 law barred some VWP citizens from the program. People who travelled to or were present in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011 must get a visa. People who travelled to Cuba on or after 12 January 2021 must get a visa ¹. Limited exceptions exist for official diplomatic or military travel ¹.

VWP citizens who hold the nationality of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria must get a visa ¹. The State Department warns that a recent US visa refusal for any reason may lead to an ESTA denial, and suggests that people unsure of their eligibility apply for a visa ¹.

Fee and validity

The ESTA fee has changed several times. It was $14 from 2010 and $21 from 2020 ³. CBP raised it to $40 on 30 September 2025, under the tax and spending law passed earlier that year ⁹. A notice in the Federal Register on 1 October 2026 adjusted part of the fee for inflation. From 16 October 2026 the fee is $40.62 per approved application, made up of $17, $10.62 and $13 parts set by statute ². A denied application costs $10.62 ².

CBP says an ESTA is valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. It advises first-time applicants to apply at least 72 hours before travel ⁴.

What the application asks

ESTA asks for passport, citizenship, residence and contact details. CBP says it already asks all applicants for contact information, travel history and family member information ⁷. By 2016, the form asked about countries visited since 1 March 2011, other citizenships and passports, and any Global Entry number ⁶.

Applicants answer eligibility questions that help CBP decide on law enforcement and security risk ³. Applications can be made on the website or through the ESTA Mobile app. CBP estimated in December 2025 that about 14.5 million people a year apply through the app ⁵. A 2021 CBP notice described the app reading the passport chip through the phone and taking a live photo to confirm identity ⁷.

The social media question

In August 2016, DHS proposed adding an optional field to ESTA asking applicants for their online presence, by platform and social media identifier ⁶. In November 2021, CBP proposed making social media a mandatory field, with an option for applicants to select none ⁷.

On 10 December 2025, CBP published a notice proposing to make social media a mandatory data element, covering the past five years, citing Executive Order 14161 ⁵. The notice listed further fields to add when feasible: phone numbers used in the past five years, email addresses used in the past ten years, and names, birth dates, birthplaces, residences and phone numbers of parents, spouses, siblings and children ⁵. It said CBP intends to require a selfie and to accept applications only through the ESTA Mobile app, retiring the website ⁵. Comments closed on 9 February 2026 ⁵.

The US Embassy in France said on 11 February 2026 that the requirement was not yet in effect and that any change would be published in the Federal Register before it applied ⁸. The American Institute of Physics reported that it was still not in effect on 25 March 2026, and that implementation could come in mid-2026 if the Office of Management and Budget approved it ¹⁰. This site found no Federal Register notice of final approval as of 19 October 2026. Travellers should check the official ESTA site for the current form.

Refusals and what to do

A denied ESTA means the person cannot travel under the VWP on that application. The State Department says people who are not eligible, or who prefer a visa, can apply for a visitor (B) visa at a US embassy or consulate ¹. People exempt from the 2015 travel restrictions for diplomatic or military reasons can contact CBP or apply for a visa ¹.

Official site warnings

CBP says there is only one official ESTA website. It warns that companies charging fees to help with ESTA applications do not act for the US government ⁴. The statutory fee is $40.62 as of 16 October 2026, and any extra charge goes to the company, not the government ^2,4.

The Federal Register notice of December 2025 says CBP plans to move all applications to the ESTA Mobile app ⁵.

• Use the official CBP ESTA website or the CBP ESTA Mobile app ^4,5
• Compare the price with the statutory fee of $40.62 ²
• Apply at least 72 hours before a first trip ⁴
• If denied, the State Department route is a B visa application ¹