ESTA

Is a visa required for transit to the USA?

Whether you’re settling in, traveling to the USA or simply in transit, a travel authorization is required to land on American soil. However, ESTA or visa: what type of authorization is required for transit to the USA? Find out in this article!

Transit visa for the USA

All foreign nationals traveling in transit to USA are required to obtain a visa, just as for travel to the USA. If you wish to take advantage of your transit to stay in the USA, you will need to obtain a B visa. On the other hand, if you wish to obtain a visa simply for your transit (stopover in San Francisco on your way to New Zealand for example), you will need to apply for a C visa. This transit visa is classified into 5 categories:

If you wish to obtain a transit visa, you must apply to the US embassy (or consulate général) at . You will then need to put together a file. This file must include the following supporting documents:

You will be asked to bring all these documents with you to your appointment at the U.S. Embassy. This is located in Paris. Make sure you put together your file carefully, as it will be decisive for the issuance of your transit visa. Consular officers will check every document carefully. Of course, if you are applying for a visa for each member of your family, you will need to compile a file for each of them.

Important: if you try to lie or present false documents, you may be permanently ineligible to obtain a visa.

An alternative to transit visas: ESTA

Depending on your profile, you may or may not be required to obtain a visa.

to land in the USA. In fact, there is a visa waiver program, also known as the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP is designed to facilitate travel to the U.S. from a selection of countries.

The ESTA was created as part of this program. It is an official travel authorization for a short stay of up to 90 days in the USA (transit, tourist trip, business trip).

Nationals of countries participating in this program are not required to apply for a transit visa to travel to the USA, but must apply for an ESTA. Here is the list of countries covered by the program:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Taiwan.

ESTA authorization is much less restrictive than a visa. It costs just $14 and is easily obtained by filling in an online form. You can apply for ESTA on the U.S. government website.

Watch out! The ESTA form must be completed with care. Although it’s not a visa, the American authorities are uncompromising, and the slightest error on the form could cost you your ESTA.

If you’re stressed about filling in the form, you can also turn to a private service. They will provide you with personalized assistance in filling in the form, and can correct any errors before submitting it to the American authorities.

Advice to travelers: to apply for an ESTA, you must hold a valid electronic or biometric passport, just as you would for a transit visa. If you have an old-generation passport (optical passport), you will not be able to travel to the USA. In this case, you will need to apply for a new passport at your local town hall.

If, unfortunately, you do not meet all the criteria for ESTA authorization, or if your ESTA authorization has been denied, you will need to apply for a transit visa at the American embassy or consulate.