Quick answer
To travel with ESTA you must be a citizen of one of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries, hold an e-passport with an electronic chip, travel for tourism, business or transit, stay 90 days or less, and not fall under the exclusions linked to certain countries visited since 2011 and 2021.
On this page
Passport
- an e-passport: a passport with an embedded electronic chip, shown by a symbol on the cover
- valid for at least 6 months after your planned departure from the United States, unless your country is exempted by a country-specific agreement
- one passport per traveller, including infants and children
- an emergency or temporary passport must also be an e-passport, including for transit
Purpose and length of stay
Your trip must be one that a visitor (B) visa would allow: tourism, visiting family or friends, medical treatment, business meetings or conferences. The stay must be 90 days or less. Study for credit, employment and media work are not allowed. See ESTA or visa.
Who cannot use ESTA
- you have travelled to or been present in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011
- you have travelled to or been present in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021
- you are also a national of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria
With limited exceptions, these travellers apply for a visa at a US embassy or consulate.
How you travel
ESTA approval is required before boarding a US-bound air or sea carrier, and before you arrive at a US land border. If you arrive on a private aircraft or another carrier that is not approved for the Visa Waiver Program, you need a visa.
Conditions you accept
If you are admitted under the Visa Waiver Program you may not change or extend your status in the United States, and you have no right to appeal a decision on admissibility at the border.
Sources
Checked on 13 November 2026. Rules can change; the official pages below always take priority.