How to apply for an ESTA form?
If you want to travel to America you need an ESTA. An ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is a digital travel authorization system that is issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is mandatory to have an approved ESTA before you arrive in the United States. The airline that takes care of your flight to the United States cannot allow you to go on board if you don’t have a valid ESTA You can apply for an ESTA form through this website. Your ESTA request can be done quickly and easily online.
The explanation of an ESTA form.
Please have your passport and your travel details at hand. You’re requesting an ESTA for multiple travelers? Then you also need the passport details of these travellers during the application. The application form is structured as follows:
General data
o Arrival date and address data
o Emergency contact
o Transit (transit)
o Contact Person United States
o Waiver of rights
o Urgent requests
Traveller
o Personal data
o Official alias
o Names of parents
o Passport data
o Alternative passport
o Alternative citizenship (current)
o Alternative citizenship (past)
o Employer
o Questions
The General Data:
The questions under the headline ‘General Data’ must be filled in only once for the entire request even when you submit an application for more than one person.
Arrival date and address data
First of all you fill in your expected arrival date in America. This date is used as an indication only. After approval your ESTA is valid for 2 years. So it is no problem when your specified date of arrival is different from your actual arrival date. We use your email address and phone number only to inform you about your ESTA request. You will receive your ESTA form approval on your specified email address. At ‘address’ enter the address of the main applicant. It is not necessary that all applicants residing at this address.
Emergency contact
Here you enter the name, telephone number and e-mail address of your emergency contact person. This person will only be contacted in case of emergency.
Transit
If you are traveling further to another destination and you don’t enter the country you have to fill in ‘Yes’ . You will receive a so-called transit ESTA. If you stay in the country choose ‘No’
Contact Person in the United States
Here you enter your contact in America. This can be a business relation, friend or family member. If you don’t have a point of contact in the United States you can also fill in the details of your accommodation. If you have no contact or accommodatio fill in ‘ UNKNOWN ‘.
Waiver of rights
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires that you give up your rights to review or appeal against a decision taken by the US Customs on your admission to the United States.
Urgent request
If you are traveling on very short notice to America you can choose for an urgent request ESTA (Electronic System for Travel authorization). We recommend that you request your ESTA as soon as possible so you can be sure of an approved ESTA when you leave for the United States. However, it may happen that you need an ESTA on short term. For example, you have booked a flight that departs within 72 hours and you were not aware that an ESTA is mandatory for America. In order to obtain an ESTA on time you can apply for an urgent request.
After we have received your request and payment we take it directly in our ‘ 15-minute treatment ’. The American authorities receive our request within 15 minutes. You will receive your ESTA within one hour but more often within a quarter of an hour by email.
Please note that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection always has the right to review your request up to 72 hours. For your urgent request you pay 9.95 per person extra.
Traveller 1
Here you enter the data of the passenger. For the validity of your ESTA it is important that the information you take over from your passport has no errors. When something in your personal data does not match with the data in your passport the ESTA is not accepted. You cannot travel to America!
Official alias
If you are known under another name or names you have to answer this question with a ‘Yes’. These names must be officially registered. If you select ‘Yes’ two input fields are opening; one for your first name and one for your last name. If you do not have an alternative first name and only a alternative last name then enter FNU (First Name Unknown) in the appropriate field. You can fill in two alternative first and last names. To do so, click ‘+ official alias’. If you have more than two official aliases please contact us.
Names of parents
In the input fields you fill in the names of your (biological, adoptive, foster, or step) parents. If the names of an older are unknown you have to fill in ‘UNKNOWN’.
Passport data
Here you enter the issuing country, the document number and the issuance and expiration date of your passport. In addition your SSN (social security number) or national register number for our Belgian travellers is asked. For travelling to America you need an international passport, an identity card is not sufficient. Be sure to fill in the requested information correctly . Errors in this data makes your ESTA invalid.
Alternative Passport
Do you or did you have a passport of another nationality than the passport you’re travelling with? Then answer this question with ‘Yes’. If you select ‘Yes’ some input fields are opening where you can select the issuing country of your alternative passport. You can fill in the document number and expiry year. Make sure that you only enter the expiry year (e.g.: 1992) and not the full expiration date.
Alternative citizenship (current)
If you are currently citizen of a country other than the country of your passport nationality then choose ‘Yes’. There are two open fields in which you indicate which country this is and how you obtained this citizenship: by birth, naturalization or through your parents. Are you living in the country of your passport nationality enter ‘no’.
Alternative citizenship (past)
Select ‘Yes’ if you were citizen or resident of a country other than the country of your passport nationality. Then choose the country.
Employer
Specify here if you have or had an employer and complete the information about your employer. When you are retired or student choose here for ‘Yes’ and fill in the details of your former employer, school or house address.
Questions
These so-called security questions relate to your health, your criminal record and your travel past. If you have answered one or more of these questions with a Yes’ we cannot treat your ESTA request.