WHAT IS THE ESTA PROCEDURE?

Anyone wishing to travel to the United States, whether for business or pleasure, must complete the ESTA procedure before departure. This authorization is necessary, because without it, there can be no travel!

THE ESTA PROCEDURE: CONDITIONS

ESTA is a program whose mainpurpose is to enable nationals of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program to travel to the United States without needing a visa(F1, M1…)(ESTA New York, Miami, Los Angeles…). To obtain it, the following conditions must be met:

• Plan a stay of 90 days maximum;
• The stay must be for tourism or business purposes, but not remunerated;
• Make sure that the airline or shipping company you use is authorized to transport people benefiting from the program(arriving in the USA by land does not require an ESTA procedure).

You must also have :

• a return or onward ticket ;
• A valid biometric or electronic passport;
• a credit card enabling online payment, as the ESTA procedure can only be carried out over the Internet.

THE ESTA PROCEDURE: STEPS TO TAKE

Once you’ve checked that you meet all the criteria listed above, you can start the procedure.

You can visit the official U.S. government website or use our services to benefit from numerous advantages (handling of the application process, simplified French form, online assistance, etc.).

The compulsory procedure takes the form of a special ESTA questionnaire to be completed in several parts. First, you must answer questions about your identity (surname, first name, date of birth, etc.). Next, you’ll be asked to provide information about the reasons for your stay (local address and emergency contact), as well as about your passport. The last part involves answering yes/no questions (about your criminal record, state of health, etc.).

ESTA PROCEDURE: RULES AND VALIDATION

Once the form has been duly completed, payment of $14 is required for your application to be considered. Once payment has been made, the U.S. authorities guarantee a response within 72 hours. The possible responses to a request are: authorization approved, authorization pending and authorization refused.

Make sure you reread the answers you’ve given, because if you’re refused because of a simple typing error, you’ll have to pay the application fee again, as you can’t change or update your ESTA. If all goes well, you’ll be able to receive your ESTA validation sooner than the 72 hours you’ve been told, and you’ll be authorized to travel to the United States!