How do I apply for an ESTA to visit the US?
Apply for an ESTA on the official CBP website or ESTA Mobile app. It costs $40 as of 2026 and lasts 2 years. Follow these steps before your trip1 US hotel stay.
Updated
Before you start
An ESTA is for citizens of the roughly 40 Visa Waiver Program countries, such as the UK, most EU countries, Japan and Australia, visiting the US for up to 90 days. If you are booking a US hotel on trip1, apply for your ESTA as soon as your travel dates are set.
You cannot use an ESTA if you have been to certain countries, such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea or Cuba, since set dates, or hold certain dual nationalities. In that case, you apply for a US visa instead.
How to apply for an ESTA - step by step
Step 1: Check your passport
You need an e-passport, which has a small chip symbol on the cover. It must be valid for your whole trip. Have your email address and an online payment method ready for the fee.
Step 2: Open the official ESTA site or app
Go to esta.cbp.dhs.gov or download the ESTA Mobile app from CBP. The app scans your passport and asks for a live photo of your face.
Step 3: Fill in your details
Enter your passport details, contact information, parents' names, employment details and where you will stay in the US. Your trip1 booking confirmation gives you the hotel name and address.
Step 4: Answer the eligibility questions
Answer every security and travel history question truthfully. A wrong answer can lead to a refusal, even on a later trip.
Step 5: Pay the fee
Pay the fee online ($40.27, or $40.62 from 16 October 2026). You can pay for a group, such as your family, in one payment, but each traveller needs their own ESTA.
Step 6: Check your status and save it
Most people get a decision within minutes, but it can take up to 72 hours. Once your status shows "Authorization Approved", save your application number. You do not need to print it, because it is linked to your passport.
Important: Only apply through the official CBP website or ESTA Mobile app. Unofficial websites often charge much more than the official fee, and they cannot speed up your approval.
After approval
Your ESTA covers multiple trips for two years, but you need a new one if you get a new passport. An ESTA does not guarantee entry - the CBP officer at the border decides when you land.
CBP has also proposed further changes to the ESTA form, such as more social media and personal details. Check the official ESTA site for the latest rules before you apply.
How to apply for an ESTA - FAQ
Apply only on the official CBP website, esta.cbp.dhs.gov, or the ESTA Mobile app. You need an e-passport with the chip symbol, an email address and a payment card. Enter your passport, contact, family and employment details and where you will stay, answer the eligibility questions truthfully, pay the fee, then save your application number once the status shows 'Authorization Approved'.
An approved ESTA costs USD 40.27 per person until 15 October 2026 and USD 40.62 from 16 October 2026, when a refused application costs USD 10.62. Every traveller pays their own fee, though you can pay for a family in one transaction. Unofficial websites often charge much more and cannot speed up approval, so use the official CBP site.
Most people get a decision within minutes, but some applications take up to 72 hours. CBP recommends applying as soon as you start planning your trip, ideally before you buy flights, so a delay or refusal does not leave you stuck. You do not need to print the approval, because it is linked to your passport.
You will probably not get that far. CBP says Visa Waiver Program travellers without an approved ESTA may be refused boarding, face delays or be refused entry at a US airport. Airlines check your ESTA status before you board, so apply well before your flight. If you cannot get an ESTA, you need a US visitor visa instead.
You cannot use an ESTA if you have been to North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, or to Cuba on or after 12 January 2021, with narrow exceptions. Dual nationals of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria are also excluded, as are people with certain criminal or immigration histories. They apply for a visa instead.
No. UK citizens do not need a visa for a holiday of up to 90 days, but they must have an approved ESTA before they board. One ESTA covers multiple trips for two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You need a new one if you get a new passport or change your name.