The ESTA Visa Waiver Program offers numerous advantages for visitors who wish to travel to the United States for a stay of less than 90 days. However this simplified procedure is only available to citizens from member countries of this system. To know if you can benefit from this online authorisation, below you can find a list of all the member countries and some pertinent explanations.
This website is not affiliated to the American government, you have the possibility of completing the procedure without supplementary fees on the official website.
List of countries eligible for the ESTA
The country members of the ESTA system:
In 2021 the ESTA system included 39 member countries. This means that all the citizens of the countries listed below can apply for travel authorisation to the United States using this system and therefore exempt from visa application. Please note: By citizen we mean a person whose permanent residence is also in the country concerned.
Here is the list of the 39 countries concerned:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Republic of Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
This list is not exclusive and may be changed in time and in accordance with agreements made with the USA.
How to apply for an ESTA and under which conditions?
As you have certainly understood, the primary condition for obtaining an ESTA authorisation is being eligible for the programme and therefore being a citizen or permanent resident of one of the countries listed above. However it is also necessary to fulfil certain other conditions as cited below:
- Hold a biometric or electronic passport which is valid for the entire stay in the United States.
- Stay on American territory for less than 90 days.
- Apply for validation from the American authorities for your travel authorisation.
More precisely, how does the procedure work for an ESTA authorisation application?
To start with, you should access the online application form, such as that you can find on our website. You should reply to certain questions relating to your identity as well as the reasons for your visit. Do not forget to ensure you have your passport with you to complete the application form. Once completed, you will need to validate your application by making a payment with your credit card for the processing and administration fees. Your application will be directly sent to the American authorities responsible for examining it.
You will receive either a favourable response or a refusal by email within 72 hours at the address you stated when completing your application. If your ESTA is granted then you have nothing else to do as your travel company or agency will be directly informed.
You should keep a note of your reference number in a safe place as your ESTA authorisation is valid for two years and for all visits to the United States during this period.
