Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) information
Citizens of countries within the VWP (Visa Waiver Program) are required to obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation in order to travel to or through the US. The ESTA visa syatem is operated by the US Government Department for Homeland Security, and Electronic System for Travel Authorisation applications may only be made electronically online.
So what, exactly, does ESTA approval entitle you to? An ESTA approval number gives the applicant approval to travel to the US, however, it does not give the applicant the right to enter the US - this is down to the US border control authorities. Of course, it is rare for a traveller to be stopped at the border, but it can happen. An ESTA does NOT give the applicant the right to reside or work in the US, and it is only valid for a maximum of 2 years from date of issue (or until expiry date of passport, whichever is sooner). ESTA should not be confused with the Green Card system, which confers entirely different rights and obligations on the holder - the two schemes are, to all intents and purposes, unrelated.
Your options and what they cost
Several years ago, it used to be possible to obtain an ESTA without charge, however, for around 3 years now, the US Government has levied a fee for all ESTA applications. There are NO exceptions to this. It is impossible to obtain an ESTA for free. Customers can buy an ESTA direct from the US Government website (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov), where they will pay a fee of $14.00. There are many agencies like ours who process ESTA applications, but not all are equal. Total fees for going via an agency range from around £30 to around £80. We are right at the bottom end of this scale, charging £29.95 per application. Our service fee includes not only the checking and processing of the application and delivering the ESTA number in PDF format, but we also offer several benefits:
- We will post a copy to your address on request (by email please)
- We offer full telephone assistance and also assistance by email
- Lost your ESTA? No problem - we will retrieve ESTA numbers and forward to your inbox at (this service is available free of charge to all via our website, irrespective of whether you purchased your ESTA through us or another agency.
- In the event of a declined application, we will refund all fees (including our service fee).
None of the above services are available via the US Government website - the US DHS will not send documents by post because they operate the entire system only electronically, they offer only a premium rate phone service at the US embassy in London, with a series of recorded messages, and under no circumstances will they refund all of the fees if they refuse an ESTA application.
Countries within the Visa Waiver Program
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Malta, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
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