If you are planning a trip to the United States of America, you have probably already heard about the ESTA Visa Waiver Program. The program enables European travellers to simply fill out an online application before traveling to the USA, so they no longer have to visit embassies, apply for visas, and endure lengthy and unpleasant procedures before they’re allowed to enter the USA.
What is the ESTA Visa Waiver Program and why is it so important?
ESTA online (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) and the Visa Waiver Program significantly simplified the procedure of travelling to the USA for shorter periods of time, which is great news for tourists. Instead of actually having to go to the embassy and get a visa, which can be a very long-lasting procedure, citizens and nationals of 38 participating countries travelling to the United States for tourism or business can now stay in the country for 90 days or less on the Visa Waiver Program. Check out esta.cbp.dhs.gov for more info.
Which countries can participate in this program?
The ESTA Visa Waiver Program is only available to citizens or nationals of certain countries. These countries are Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom.
What are the requirements for the program?
If you want to travel to the USA with the Visa Waiver program, you can simply apply by visiting esta.cbp.dhs.gov. You will have to fill out a form requesting information such as your name, birth date and passport information, and answer a couple of eligibility questions regarding communicable diseases, arrests and convictions for certain crimes, past history of visa revocation or deportation and some other important questions.
If you’re having problems with your application, you can get 24/7 assistance on this procedure, and you can also find lots of useful information for turists. Once your travel is authorised, your travel authorization is valid for two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.