About the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

Contents

What is ESTA (Electric System for Travel Authorization)?

ESTA(Electric System for Travel Authorization) is part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), and an immigration system required for short-term travel to the U.S. Those who wish to travel to the U.S. are required to apply for ESTA in advance and answer questions for eligibility. Japanese nationals do not need a visa to travel to the U.S. for general sightseeing or short-term business purposes, but they must apply for ESTA. It is required for anyone regardless of age who wishes to stay in the U.S. for 90 days or less. However, if the purpose of your visit to the U.S. is to work or study, you are not eligible to apply for ESTA, but must apply for a visa. In addition, those who intend to reside permanently in the U.S. are not eligible to apply for ESTA, therefore consider applying for a visa that will allow you to stay in the U.S. for an extended period of time.

Normally, a visa is required for travel to the United States. However, travelers who are citizens of countries participating in the visa waiver program are exempted from visa application procedures and may travel to the U.S. using the simplified Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) if they satisfy certain conditions (for example, they must be traveling for purposes of business or sightseeing on a short-term basis, staying in the U.S. for no longer than 90 days). ESTA authorization is also required when changing to connecting flights in the U.S. Travelers visiting the U.S. for reasons other than those above, such as employment or studying abroad, must first obtain the appropriate visas. In addition, some citizens of countries participating in the visa waiver program such as those with criminal records or certain communicable diseases may not be able to use the visa waiver program.

In principle, ESTA authorization is valid for two years from the date of authorization. However, if your passport expires during this period of two years, then your ESTA authorization will expire at the same time as your passport. Also, if you have been issued a new passport during this period, you will need to obtain authorization again using your new passport number.
After you submit an online application to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), you will be notified of the results of authorization following a screening period of up to 72 hours. For this reason, applying for ESTA at least 72 hours before boarding your flight is recommended.
ESTA authorization may be refused based on DHS rules. If ESTA authorization has been refused, you must obtain a visa from a U.S. embassy in order to travel to the U.S. Note that obtaining a visa is a time-consuming process. For more information and details, please go to the official website of the DHS, and/or the U.S. embassy.

Countries participating in the visa waiver program

Great Britain, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Malta, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Taiwan, Poland, Croatia, Israel

ESTA Application Requirements

Purpose of travel to the U.S. must be for general tourism or short-term business
The duration of stay in the U.S. must be less than 90 days (except for work or study)
The applicant must be a citizen of countries participating in the VWP and possess a passport with a valid IC chip
Have no serious criminal record in the past, and must not be suffering from contagious diseases or illnesses as defined by the U.S.
Have no intention to stay in the U.S. for a long period of time and return to their home country after completing the purpose of their visit

Required Documents and Application Process for ESTA

You will need your passport and credit card to apply for ESTA. The passport information on the application form must be the ESTA applicant’s own information. Even when minors applying for ESTA, it is required to enter their own passport information, not that of a parent or guardian. Make sure that your passport is valid and has an IC chip when applying.
ESTA can be applied through our ESTA Online Center website. For the application procedure, please refer to “Guide for filling out the ESTA application form – Q&A“. For payment, it can only be made by credit card (Visa, Master Card, JCB, American Express). If the applicant does not have a credit card, payment can be made with a credit card other than his/her own.

More information for the Visa Waiver Program, please check here.

ESTA expiration date and application period

Once you have applied for ESTA, it is valid for two years, and you may travel to the U.S. as many times as you wish within the validity period of your ESTA. However, please note that if your passport is valid for less than two years, your ESTA expires on the same day as your passport expires. If you have a valid passport, you can apply for ESTA at any time though if your passport will expire in the next six months or so, we recommend that you renew your passport before applying for ESTA. If your passport is valid until the day you plan to return from the U.S., you are allowed to travel to the U.S. via ESTA though check the expiration date of your passport before traveling to the U.S. since some countries may not allow entry if the passport expiration date is not sufficient to prevent overstaying. ESTA application is available online 24/7, and you can apply anytime though travel authorization is not granted immediately after an application is submitted. It may take up to three days from the time of application to the notification of travel authorization, so that we recommend you apply for ESTA soon after making your travel plans to the U.S. There are some conditions that must be met in order to travel to the U.S. with ESTA. As mentioned above, the period of stay in the U.S. under ESTA is limited to 90 days, and those who wish to stay longer than that must obtain a visa. In addition, it is expected that those who are mentioned below will not be eligible to apply for ESTA: those who have overstayed in the U.S. in the past, those who have a serious criminal record, those who have a contagious disease as defined by the U.S., and those who have a serious illness requiring urgent medical treatment. If applicable, please consider applying for a visa when you travel to the U.S.

More information for ESTA expiration, please check here.

ESTA application service

The ESTA Online Center provides its customers with full support for complex ESTA application procedures, 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.
Its expert staff provide thorough advice for those unaccustomed with traveling to the U.S. or uncertain about completing the application procedures themselves. Using the application service on this site offers the following advantages and added value compared with applying directly by oneself.