Embassy of the United States

ESTA NIV Waiver Program

Apply for Electronic Travel Authorization Now: It’s FREE, FAST and EASY!

Electronic System for Travel Authorization Launched for Visa Waiver Travelers Visiting United States

International visitors to the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program are required to obtain an electronic travel authorization online, prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. under the VWP. The tool is easy to use, free of charge and available in 16 languages. Please be aware of the passport requirements for travel on the Visa Waiver Program.

 The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is accessible via Internet for citizens and eligible nationals of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to apply for advance authorization to travel to the United States under the VWP. Apply here.

"VWP travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have established web sites which charge visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP, for information about ESTA and for submitting ESTA applications to DHS on behalf of the traveler. These businesses and websites are not endorsed or associated with the United States Government. The United States Government does not charge a fee to obtain information about, apply for, or obtain a travel authorization through the ESTA web site. 

How the Electronic System for Travel Authorization Works

Log onto the ESTA Web site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov  and complete an on-line application in English. Travelers are encouraged to apply early. The web-based system will prompt you to answer basic biographical and eligibility questions typically requested on a paper I-94W form. applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, however, DHS recommends that applications be submitted no less than 72 hours prior to travel. In most cases you will receive a response within seconds:

1. Authorization Approved: Travel authorized.
2. Travel Not Authorized: Traveler must obtain a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate before traveling to the U.S.
3. Authorization Pending: Traveler will need to check the ESTA Web site for updates within 72 hours to receive a final response.

An approved travel authorization via ESTA is:

• Required for all VWP travelers prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. under the VWP beginning January 12, 2009;
• Valid, unless revoked, for up to two years or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever comes first;
• Valid for multiple entries into the U.S. As future trips are planned, or if an applicant’s destination addresses or itineraries change after their authorization has been approved, they may easily update that information through the ESTA Web site; and
• Not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorizes a traveler to board a carrier for travel to the U.S. under the VWP. (For additional information, please visit "For International Visitors" at www.CBP.gov/travel.)

ESTA will enhance the security of the VWP and enable the United States to maintain and expand participation in the program. After January 12, 2009, VWP travelers who do not apply for and receive travel authorization via ESTA prior to travel may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing or be denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.  Additional information regarding the VWP and ESTA is available at www.cbp.gov/esta

Eligible Countries:
Countries currently enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program include:

 Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, The Republic of Korea, San Marino, Singapore, The Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The United Kingdom

If you are an Icelandic citizen and hold an approved ESTA and a machine-readable passport, you generally do not require a visa to travel to the U.S. for holiday and business trips of  90 days or less. 

However, if you do not have an approved ESTA and a Machine Readable Passport, please see the regulations which took effect October 26, 2004.

To take advantage of visa-free travel, you must have an approved ESTA, a valid machine-readable passport and a round-trip ticket, arrive in the U.S. aboard an approved carrier, such as Icelandair.

You may also enter the United States overland from Canada and Mexico without a visa.  Once you enter the United States, you may make side trips to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands and return without needing a visa. If you are entering by land, you must be in possession of an approved ESTA and a completed form I-94W, issued by the immigration authorities at the port of entry, and pay a $6.00 fee, payable only in U.S. dollars.

Icelandic passports issued on or after October 26, 2006, must contain biometric identifiers in order to qualify the bearer for visa-free travel on the Visa Waiver Program.  more

CBP Departure Record
Form I-94 or Form I-94W

Whether you travel to the U.S. on the visa waiver or with a visa, it is important to ensure that your I-94 or I-94W card is removed from your passport prior to your departure from the United States. For more information click here.

We look forward to ensuring your travel remains safe and convenient today and in the future. THE VISA WAIVER PROGRAM