Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

ESTA  for Visa Waiver Travelers Visiting the United States

If you are traveling to the United States using the Visa Waiver Program (that is, if you do not have a U.S. visa placed in your passport) you are required to obtain an electronic travel authorization online prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is easy to use and available in 16 languages, including Icelandic. Each traveler, regardless of age, needs his or her own ESTA application. The U.S. Embassy cannot fill out your ESTA application for you. Before filling out your ESTA application we recommend that you verify that your passport meets the requirements for travel under the Visa Waiver Program.

If you do not have an approved ESTA application prior to the travel under the Visa Waiver Program you may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing at the U.S. boarder or be denied admission into the United States. Additional information regarding ESTA and the Visa Waiver Program can be found at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

How to Apply for ESTA

All ESTA applications must be completed online via the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website.  You need your passport and a credit card in front of you when you fill out the online application form.  There is a $14.00 fee to submit an ESTA application.  CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR YOUR ESTA.  

WARNING:  Visa Waiver Program travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have established web sites which charge visitors for information about ESTA and for submitting ESTA applications 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 a travel authorization through the ESTA web site. 

How the Electronic System for Travel Authorization Works

Go to the United States Customs and Border Protection website and complete an on-line application. 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. You may submit your applicationat any time prior to travel, however, we recommend 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 your destination addresses or itineraries change after their authorization has been approved, you 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.)

Eligible Countries:

Countries currently enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program include:

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

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.

Questions?

The ESTA program is managed by the Department of Homeland Security in the United States. This means that U.S. Embassies and Consulates do not have access to ESTA information and we cannot verify the status of your ESTA application. The U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik can answer general questions about the ESTA program or clarify how to apply for an ESTA. Please send your ESTA related questions to us by email at reykjavikconsular@state.gov.

If you want to verify that you have a valid ESTA you must contact the U.S. Customs and border Protection agency directly. Contact information and answers to the most common ESTA problems can be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.