WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU’VE LOST YOUR ESTA?
Travelling is always a stressful undertaking, especially when you’re going to a country as far away as the USA. Our readers often contact us when they can’t find their ESTA travel authorization. If this is your case, don’t panic! We’ll explain the steps you need to take to recover your precious sesame!
DO I HAVE TO REAPPLY FOR A LOST ESTA?
First and foremost, you should know that the validity of your ESTA is entirely dependent on the validity of your passport and the information you provided when you first applied for ESTA. If this information has changed, you will not need to retrieve your lost ESTA, but rather renew your application using the new information.
The truthfulness of your information is very important to the American government, which will check it thoroughly. Thanks to the Visa Waiver Program, nationals of the 38 participating countries are eligible for a visa waiver to travel to the USA, but only if they provide truthful information.
It’s perfectly normal to panic when you realize you’ve lost an important document, especially on the eve of departure or even during your stay. Rest assured, your ESTA authorization remains valid for two years, whether you have a printed copy with you or not. A physical copy is handy for quickly proving your eligibility to enter the U.S. to customs officials, but they are perfectly capable of retrieving your authorization online thanks to their in-house software.
Tip: print several copies of your ESTA on paper and keep a PDF version on a USB key to keep with your belongings.
RETRIEVE LOST ESTA APPLICATION
You can easily access your personal account on the U.S. Customs website using the information you used for your first ESTA application:
- If you know your application number, simply enter it along with your passport number, name and date of birth;
- If you’ve lost your application number, you’ll need to enter your passport number, date of birth, full name and country of origin.
Then click on the “Retrieve application” button to access your valid ESTA authorization. In the event of a problem, you can also call on the online assistance service of our partner specialized in international travel formalities. Agents are available 6 days a week to answer all your questions.