Aplikacja ESTA

An ESTA travel authorization entitles you to engage in tourist and certain business activities in the USA.

What is allowed with ESTA?

If you have an ESTA authorization to travel to the United States, then you are allowed to do the following things during your stay in the USA:

• Recreation
  You are allowed to vacation in the US, visit friends and relatives, and participate privately in events and competitions.
• Professional activities and training
  You may meet business partners for consultations, negotiate contracts, attend scientific, educational, or business conferences, and attend short-term training and private recreational study.
• Medical treatment
  You are also allowed to undergo medical treatment in the US with ESTA. However, make sure you have complete documentation of medical certificates and insurance benefits or financial reserves at the border to avoid being classified as a suspect (an expected financial burden to the US) by US border officials.
• Transit/Transfer
  ESTA allows you to transit to the US aboard a regular airplane or (cruise) ship.

What is not allowed with ESTA?

ESTA sets clear limits in the professional or educational field, as well as in the length of stay and alternative methods of entry:

• Work, School, and Study
  ESTA does not allow you to study, go to school, take professional employment, or enter the US as a representative of the press, radio, film, or other information media.
• Residency and US Immigration
  As an ESTA traveler, you may not extend your stay, nor may you be or apply to become a permanent resident (holder of a Green Card) of the United States.
• Methods of Entry
  You cannot use ESTA to travel to the United States aboard a private aircraft, a private ship or boat, a military aircraft, or by land.

Czy pomimo ważnej wizy amerykańskiej potrzebne jest również zezwolenie ESTA, zależy od tego, czy cel wjazdu jest taki sam. Dlatego też na przykład złożenie wniosku o rejestrację w systemie ESTA przy posiadaniu ważnej wizy B2 jest zbędne. W obu przypadkach pobyt w USA jest natury turystycznej – zatem cel jest taki sam.

Sytuacja wygląda inaczej w przypadku posiadaczy amerykańskich wiz pracowniczych, takich jak wiza E1 lub E2, którzy pierwotnie chcieli podróżować do USA w celu podjęcia pracy, a teraz jako turyści. Pomimo ważnej wizy E1 lub E2, wniosek o ESTA musi zostać złożony, ponieważ cel pobytu jest inny niż praca. 

Jak podano na stronie internetowej U.S. Customs and Border Protection:

"Individuals who possess a valid visa will still be able to travel to the United States on that visa for the purpose for which it was issued."

Musisz złożyć podanie o ESTA co najmniej 72 godziny przed lotem do USA. Zalecamy jednak 6-8 tygodni przed wjazdem, ponieważ w przypadku odmowy wydania wizy ESTA nadal istnieje możliwość ubiegania się o wizę do USA.

Okres ważności ESTA wynosi maksymalnie dwa lata lub do daty wygaśnięcia ważności paszportu, w zależności od tego, co nastąpi wcześniej. W tym czasie można wjechać do USA bez wizy na maksymalnie 90 dni (nawet kilka razy!). Wiza ESTA nie może być przedłużona, ale należy o nią wielokrotnie ubiegać się.

Możesz ubiegać się o ESTA przez Internet i telefon komórkowy, dzięki czemu w razie potrzeby możesz również złożyć wniosek o ESTA na lotnisku. Należy jednak pamiętać, że czas rozpatrywania wniosku może trwać do 72 godzin i może się zdarzyć, że nie otrzymasz na czas swojego systemu ESTA.

Tylko adres e-mail oraz adres w USA mogą być następnie aktualizowane w systemie ESTA. W przypadku zmiany innych danych, takich jak nazwisko lub numer paszportu, należy zawsze złożyć wniosek o nowy system ESTA. ESTA jest jednak z reguły ważny maksymalnie przez dwa lata.

Nie, ESTA to pozwolenie na wjazd, które pozwala na podróż do USA bez wizy. Można się o nie ubiegać tylko online. Jeśli nie spełniasz wymogów ESTA, będziesz musiał ubiegać się o wizę do USA, co nie tylko trwa dłużej, ale jest również droższe.

Tutaj znajdziesz przegląd najważniejszych różnic między wizą ESTA a wizą amerykańską:

Możesz wjechać do USA bez ESTA tylko wtedy, gdy posiadasz odpowiednią wizę USA lub Zieloną Kartę. Bezwizowy wjazd z ESTA jest również dostępny tylko dla obywateli krajów uczestniczących w amerykańskim programie Visa Waiver Program.

Jeżeli Państwa ESTA jest nadal ważny, mogą Państwo dowiedzieć się o tym, sprawdzając status online na podstawie numeru wniosku lub danych w paszporcie. Zasadniczo jednak ESTA jest ważny przez 2 lata lub do daty wygaśnięcia ważności paszportu, w zależności od tego, co nastąpi wcześniej.

Szybkie odpowiedzi na pytanie, jak często można podróżować do USA z systemem ESTA: Ogólnie rzecz biorąc, ESTA jest ważny przez dwa lata i w tym czasie można wjeżdżać do USA tak często, jak tylko się chce, maksymalnie przez 90 dni.

Ostateczną decyzję o tym, czy można wjechać do USA, czy też nie, podejmują jednak funkcjonariusze służb granicznych USA. Jeśli mają oni wątpliwości, czy naprawdę chcą wjechać do kraju tylko jako turyści, można zostać zawróconym na granicy. Może się to zdarzyć w przypadku próby ponownego wjazdu do USA zaraz po 90-dniowym pobycie. Zalecamy odstęp co najmniej trzech miesięcy, ale niestety nie ma dokładnej reguły.

System ESTA jest obowiązkowy dla wszystkich podróżnych z USA, którzy nie posiadają odpowiedniej wizy amerykańskiej lub zielonej karty. Jednak tylko obywatele krajów uczestniczących w programie Visa Waiver Program of the USA mogą ubiegać się o ESTA. Wszyscy inni muszą ubiegać się o wizę przed wjazdem do USA.

A rejection of your ESTA application does not automatically mean that you are not allowed to travel to the USA.

If necessary, contact your US embassy, consulate, or visa service agency directly and apply for the appropriate visa, for example, the B-2 or B-1 visa.

Although embassies and US consulates are tight-lipped about the details of denied ESTA applications, we know that ESTA denials are often related to technicalities.

About 72 hours after your ESTA application, you can find out whether or not you have been granted travel authorization.

Suppose you submitted your ESTA application through esta-application.com. In that case, you will receive a personal message from the ESTA experts regarding the status of your travel authorization, which you can include in your travel documents.

For all other ESTA applicants, the US government recommends that you check the status on the ESTA web page of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under "Check Existing Application" before you travel.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security charges $14 per person to apply for an ESTA. This ESTA fee is not per entry but per application, and there is no discount for children, students, or retirees. Unfortunately, if your application is denied, you will only get a partial refund - unless you submitted your ESTA application through esta-application.com.

In addition to the convenient ESTA services, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security fee is already included in the esta-application.com rates starting at €39.90. Our money-back guarantee protects you in the unlikely event of rejection despite all the precautions taken by our ESTA experts.

Since ESTA is not a visa, the requirements, costs, and waiting times are also less than for a US visa application. However, you also travel with limited rights.

In addition to higher costs and longer waiting times, a visa application, unlike the ESTA process, requires you to submit additional documents and complete an interview appointment.

You need a visa instead of an ESTA approval for your trip to the USA if:

• You want to work, study, or attend school in the United States
• You intend to stay in the USA for more than 90 days
• The US authorities have denied an ESTA application of you in the past
• You want to travel to the USA as a representative of the foreign press, radio, film, or other information media
• You are not a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program country
• You intend to apply for an immigrant visa
• You are traveling to the United States on an airline that is not a Visa Waiver Program signatory carrier (for example, private aircraft, military aircraft, or private boats)
• You intend to travel to the US by land

Make sure you apply for the visa that fits your travel purpose. Otherwise, your visa application will most likely be denied.

You can change the information in your ESTA form later, even if you have already flown to the USA with your currently valid ESTA authorization.

If you want to change your ESTA data, inform your ESTA-ONLINE travel advisors. The ESTA experts will then make the necessary changes for you.

If you prefer to make the changes yourself, log in to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website using your passport number, date of birth, and application number and navigate to the "RETRIEVE INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION" item.

There are only two reasons that entitle you to make a subsequent change to your ESTA form. These are:

• The change of your email address
• The change of your first overnight address in the USA.

For all other changes, you will need to start a new ESTA application.

If there are any changes in your biographical information after your ESTA application has been approved, then you will need to submit a new ESTA application. This applies, for example, if

• You change your name
• You change your gender
• You change your citizenship
• Your circumstances change in such a way that you would now have to answer the questions in your ESTA application differently, for example, because you have been convicted of a crime or you have caught a contagious disease.

Some changes may also require you to apply for a US visa instead of a new ESTA. The visa experts at The American Dream will be happy to advise you on this.

Upon arrival, be prepared for passport checks, conversations with US border personnel, and some waiting time.

Upon arrival in the US, ESTA travelers will initially remain in the waiting hall with all other passengers.

After joining the "Visitors" queue, it may happen that one of the Immigration Officers will ask you to go to an APC (=Automated Passport Control) machine for automatic passport control.

The following scenarios are possible after your arrival at the US airport with ESTA:

Apart from automated passport control for many ESTA travelers, there is another way to shorten waiting times at US airports: the CBP Global Entry Program.

This so-called "Trusted Traveler Program" often reduces the waiting time for frequent flyers to just a few minutes. Global Entry is already available at more than 50 airports in the USA. You can find out whether you are eligible for the Global Entry Program with the Global Entry Check from the US Visa Service of The American Dream.

Can I get an ESTA without the Visa Waiver Program?

If your country of citizenship does not participate in the Visa Waiver Program, you do not qualify for ESTA and must apply for a visa for your trip to the USA. You can find a detailed overview of all US visas in our article Entering the USA.

How do I get an ESTA travel authorization?

You can apply for ESTA either through ESTA experts such as the US travel consultants at The American Dream or on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

If you apply directly to the US government, you must not make any mistakes. Otherwise, you risk being blocked from the ESTA process forever. You can only get a thorough check of your data and a personal contact for later corrections at esta-application.com.

Is ESTA equivalent to a visa?

ESTA is not a visa but a visa-free travel authorization. Therefore, as an ESTA traveler, you also have limited rights: you may only stay in the USA for private purposes or for short professional occasions.

Where can I find my National ID or Personal ID number for the ESTA application?

Not all countries have a National ID or Personal ID number for their citizens. Therefore, other information may be provided in the requested field on the US Customs and Border Protection website.

Your ESTA experts at The American Dream will take care of filling in all the fields correctly. If you are writing your ESTA application on your own, then you can enter the ID card serial number or "Unknown" in this field. You mustn't leave the field blank.

USA visa denied: Can I enter with ESTA?

If you have applied for a US visa before and it was denied, then there is a good chance that your ESTA application will be denied as well. In fact, the ESTA application tools will even ask specifically about having had a visa denied in the past. Your options for entering the USA are then limited to another visa application. Be sure to select a visa that fits your travel purpose exactly. If you are unsure, contact the US visa experts at The American Dream.

Do I have to apply for ESTA even though I have a valid US visa?

Whether you need ESTA approval despite your valid US visa depends on the purpose of your trip. For example, if you have a valid B-2 visa (tourist visa), then you no longer need to apply for ESTA approval to enter the US.

However, if you have an E-1 or E-2 visa (commercial/investor visa), for example, then this only entitles you to enter the US for business purposes. If you now want to travel to the USA for a vacation trip outside of your business activities, then you must apply for ESTA approval in addition to your E visa.

Dual citizenship: ESTA for both passports?

When traveling with ESTA, you need a travel authorization for the passport document you want to use during the trip. So, suppose you are a dual citizenship holder and decide at short notice to travel with your second passport document. In that case, you will also need to apply for a second ESTA authorization.

In order not to complicate your entry and exit unnecessarily, decide on one of your two passports before your trip, which you will then use for the entire journey. Otherwise, even if you have two ESTA authorizations, there may be confusion and delays at the border.

Can I be denied entry at the US border despite ESTA?

Neither a US visa nor an ESTA authorization is a guaranteed entry permit to the USA. The US border agent always makes the final decision about your border crossing into the United States.

As an ESTA traveler, do I need to fill out Form I-94W?

Since the automated ESTA process has been in place, USA travelers no longer have to fill out the green paper card called I-94W (Arrival / Departure Record). In the past, it was handed out to passengers during the flight or onboard a ship and collected again at the end of the trip.

All that remains of the "paperwork" is the blue customs declaration.

Where to fill out the US customs declaration (Form 6059B)

Even though the introduction of ESTA has reduced paperwork as much as possible, you may still have to fill out the customs declaration manually when entering the USA.

If you do not qualify for Automated Passport Control (APC) (you will find out at the latest while waiting in the immigration queue at the airport), then fill out the form upon arrival. During the passport check at the APC machine, the customs declaration is included.

How long is ESTA valid?

An ESTA permit is valid for two years but not longer than the expiration date of the passport for which it was issued.

Learn more in our ESTA FAQ at https://www.esta-application.com/esta-faq