Embassy of the United States Copenhagen, Denmark

ESTA logo

Electronic System for Travel Authorization

ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).  ESTA is operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a part of the Department of Homeland Security.  It is mandatory for anyone traveling to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program to obtain this pre-flight clearance—airlines will deny boarding to any VWP traveler without an ESTA.  This program only pertains to Visa Waiver Program travelers; anyone traveling with a visa does not need an ESTA.

The ESTA application collects the same information formerly collected on Form I-94W. Since June 29, 2010, all information previously collected from I-94Ws is now collected from ESTA for travelers at all air and sea ports of entry to the U.S.  ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, though travelers should consider applying  when they begin preparing travel plans.  CBP recommends that travelers submit their ESTA request at least 72 hours in advance of travel, but an ESTA may be submitted any time before the traveler plans to check in for a flight to the U.S.

For more information about ESTA, including a Frequently Asked Question sheet, please visit CBP’s ESTA site.

ESTA Fee

On August 6, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to implement an ESTA fee beginning September 8, 2010.  An interim final rule was published in the Federal Register proposing that VWP travelers be charged a fee to fund the operational costs of ESTA and a travel promotion fee required by the Travel Promotion Act of 2010.  The total fee per traveler will by $14.00--$4.00 for ESTA registration and $10.00 for the new travel promotion fee. A retroactive fee will not be charged for an ESTA currently in effect, but any new ESTA applications on or after September 8, 2010 will incur the new fee.

The fees will be collected by the Department of Homeland Security and will be a part of the existing ESTA registration process.  The fee can only be paid by credit or debit card, using Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover credit cards or by a debit card with the Visa or Mastercard logo.  Other payment options are being explored.  Payment will be made at pay.gov, a highly secure site using 128-bit SSL encryption to secure all data while a transaction is being made.  For more information on the security of the site, please visit the CBP web site using the link listed below.

For more information about this change, including how to provide a comment on the proposed fee, please visit the CBP web site.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Now Enforcing ESTA Requirement

Since January 20, 2010, CBP requires that all VWP travelers obtain an ESTA in order to travel to the U.S. VWP travelers who have not obtained approval through ESTA should expect to be denied boarding on any air carrier bound for the United States.  For more information, please see the CBP press release on this important change.  More than 14 million VWP travelers have already received ESTA approvals, and the rate of ESTA refusals remains less than one percent.

ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the United States, and VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for authorization as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United States.  Ideally this should be done at least 72 hours prior to traveling.  If the traveler receives a positive response, he may proceed with his trip, and this ESTA clearance is valid for two years;  if there is a negative response, he will need to apply for a visa at the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  

An ESTA is valid for two years, unless (1) the traveler is issued a new passport; (2) the traveler changes his or her name; (3) the traveler changes his or her gender; (4) the traveler’s country of citizenship changes; or (5) the circumstances underlying the travelers’ previous responses to any of the ESTA applications “yes/no” questions have changed.

Please note that it is the responsibility of the airline to implement ESTA and check your ESTA authorization at check-in.  All airlines flying to U.S. from Copenhagen Kastrup airport are checking the ESTA for all travelers flying to the U.S.  Anyone without an ESTA will be denied boarding. 

• Go to the ESTA site and complete the application.

If you want to read more, go to the web site of the US Customs and Border Protection or download the ESTA fact sheet.  

VWP travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have established web sites which charge visitors seeking to travel to the United States under the VWP, for information about ESTA and for submitting ESTA applications to DHS on behalf of the traveler.  These businesses and web sites are not endorsed or associated with the United States Government.  Free information about ESTA can be found on the official ESTA web site.  However, individuals applying for and obtaining a travel authorization through the official ESTA web site will now be charged a fee as described on the web site.