What are the ESTA Application Requirements?

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ESTA application online
ESTA application online

To travel to the USA with an ESTA, all of the requirements mentioned in this blog must be met. While most tourists or business travelers will likely meet these requirements, it is wise to look them over nonetheless, regardless of your nationality, before your ESTA application online submission.

Requirements regarding travel purpose

The following travel purposes do meet the requirements of the ESTA:

  • Tourism (on holiday to the USA)
  • Visiting friends or family
  • Visiting clients or suppliers
  • Undergoing medical treatment
  • Attending business meetings, negotiations, or conferences

The following travel purposes do not meet the requirements of the ESTA:

  • Entering into service with an American employer
  • Studying in the United States
  • Investing in or starting an American company
  • Performing journalism-related activities

Working in the USA with an ESTA is allowed, provided the traveler does not enter direct employment with an American company. The traveler can be paid for the works performed in the USA, as long as the paying party is located outside of the United States. This way, it qualifies as a “business trip” and meets the requirements of submitting the ESTA application online.

Requirements regarding travel planning

The following requirements of the ESTA concern the planning of a trip to the USA:

  • All travelers must comply with the rules for preventing coronavirus/COVID-19.
  • The traveler must possess a valid passport for the entirety of their stay in the USA.
  • From the moment of arrival in the United States, the 90-day maximum staying limit commences. In addition to the time limit in the USA, this limit also extends to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands.
  • At the moment of arrival in the USA, a return or transit ticket must have already been booked.
  • Travelers journeying with an ESTA cannot apply for a US visa, extension, or residence permit upon arrival in the country.
  • Applying for an ESTA USA is not sufficient if travel occurs by private plane or private ship.
  • Applying for an ESTA USA with an emergency passport is only possible if the emergency passport contains a digital chip.

Requirements regarding the background of the traveler

To qualify for an ESTA, the traveler must be a national from these countries. In the following cases, the requirements for the ESTA are not met, and a visa is required to travel to the USA:

  • In or after 2011, the traveler has been to Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Libya, or Yemen, or has at some point held the nationality of one of these countries.
  • The traveler has a contagious disease or mental defect that would make them a serious risk to their environment.
  • The traveler has at one point been arrested or convicted of a crime that led to serious injury.
  • The traveler has at one point broken the law regarding possession, distribution, or usage of drugs.
  • The traveler has not adhered to the ESTA application online or US visa requirements in the past.

Travelers who possess a valid American or Canadian passport, a visa, or an American residence permit, are exempt from the ESTA mentioned above requirements. Travelers entering the USA by land do not need to apply for an ESTA, but it is advised they do so to shorten the passport checks. They are also still required to adhere to all of the requirements on this page concerning their stay in the USA. Travelers that do not possess a passport issued by a country that is part of the Visa Waiver Program, but do hold a residence permit from one of these countries, do not meet the requirements of the ESTA USA, and can only travel with a visa.