ESTA for the US: who needs it, cost and how to apply

>- The application is short and takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You need your passport, a contact address in the US (a hotel is fine), an email address and a payment card. Verify that your passport is a Visa Waiver Program passport and that it meets US entry requirements; a mismatched name or passport number is the most common reason for a delay or a refusal.

>- The official fee is US$21 per application (2026 estimate), paid by card at the end of the form. Some third‑party sites look official and charge two or three times that for the same form; the government site is the only one that issues a valid ESTA. Approval is usually instant, but the official guidance allows up to 72 hours, and a small share of applications are referred for manual review, which can take longer. Apply at least three days before you fly, and a week or more ahead if your travel dates are fixed.

>- ESTA can be refused; you may then apply for a B‑1/B‑2 visa, which requires an interview at a US embassy or consulate and can take weeks or months. Common reasons for refusal include travel to certain restricted countries, dual nationality with those countries, or a past overstay or immigration violation. Check the official ESTA guidance for the current list of restrictions.

>- The US, UK, Canada and the EU are all moving to pre‑travel screening, but the rules differ. The US charges for ESTA and gives two years; the UK ETA is cheaper and also lasts two years; Canada's eTA is the cheapest of the four and lasts up to five years; ETIAS for Europe is not yet in force and will cover three years when it starts.

>- ESTA gets you on the plane, not into the country. On arrival you clear US Customs and Border Protection, give fingerprints and answer questions about your trip, and the officer sets your admitted stay, which for Visa Waiver travellers is up to 90 days. Carry proof of onward or return travel, an address where you are staying and enough money for your trip; officers can ask for all three. ESTA does not allow work, study or a change to another immigration status inside the US.

>- Apply for every traveller separately, including babies and children, who need their own passport and their own ESTA. If you are transiting the US on the way to another country, you still need ESTA or a visa, because the US has no sterile transit. Keep the same passport for the whole validity period if you can; a new passport means a new application. And check the official site for fee changes, because the US has proposed increases that may take effect during 2026.