Do you need an ESTA or Visa for your trip to the United States?

If you’re a citizen of a European country, whether or not a member of the European Union, your passport alone—even if valid—is not enough to enter the United States. To pass immigration at New York or any US airport, you must have either an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) or a Visa. How do you know which one you need? Here’s what you should know.

An ESTA is not a Visa

• First, an ESTA is not a Visa. An Electronic System for Travel Authorization is a very different process—much simpler and less expensive than a Visa. You can get an ESTA from home in just a few minutes online, whereas a Visa requires you to visit the nearest US embassy or consulate in person.
• The timelines are different too. You must apply for an ESTA no more than 72 hours before departure, while a Visa application must be submitted at least 2 months before your trip.

Requirements for an ESTA

To apply for and receive your ESTA, you must meet all 6 of these conditions:

• You must be a citizen of one of the 38 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program. This includes France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and all European Union countries. It also includes Switzerland, Monaco, Norway, Chile, and South Korea. You can find the complete list on the official US government website.
• You must have a passport issued by one of the Visa Waiver Program countries, valid for 6 months after your return home. Note: some countries are part of the “6-Month Club,” which allows their residents to present a passport valid only for the duration of their US stay. See my article on passport validity for “6-Month Club” countries.
• You must be traveling to the United States for tourism or business purposes. If you plan to study, work, or settle in the United States, a Visa is required.
• Your stay in the United States cannot exceed 90 days.
• You must have a round-trip airline or cruise ticket, or proof that you will leave US territory within 90 days.
• Since January 21, 2016, you cannot hold dual nationality with Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, or Yemen, and you cannot have traveled to any of these countries since March 1, 2011. You also cannot have traveled to Cuba since January 12, 2021. See the article on when a visa is required for travel to Cuba.

You meet all 6 conditions? Great! You can benefit from the Visa Waiver Program and apply for an ESTA.
To do this, I recommend going only to the official US government website. Many sites offer to fill out your ESTA for you for unnecessary fees. I strongly advise you to use the official site and do it yourself—this protects your personal information and saves you money.
The application costs $40 per ESTA, payable by credit card on the site. One more thing: the US government website is available in multiple languages. Select your language at the top right of the homepage, then click “New Application” and follow the prompts. For step-by-step help, see my guide on how to complete an ESTA application correctly.

When to Apply for a Visa

You don’t meet one of the ESTA conditions, or your country isn’t on the Visa Waiver Program list? Don’t worry—you can still visit the United States. You’ll need to apply for a Visa instead.
Your options depend on your situation, as several types of Visas exist. Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate to your home and submit a specific request.
Here are the main Visa categories:

• Business/Tourism (Visa B1, B2, and B1/B2).
• Athletes/Artists (Visa O and P).
• Au Pair (Visa J).
• Diplomatic/Official (Visa A, C3, G, and NATO).
• Domestic Workers (B1, A3, G5, and NATO-7).
• Students (Visa F and M).
• Investors (Visa E).
• Journalists (Visa I).
• Exchange/Training/Internships (Visa J).
• Transit (Visa C).
• Work (Visa H, L, and Q).

If you plan to do an internship in the United States, a Visa is required—even for unpaid internships. The same applies to volunteer work: the US treats all work as work, whether paid or not. This rule is strictly enforced, and violations result in deportation. A recent example involved a young French national who arrived in New York with only an ESTA, planning to do an internship, and was put on the next flight home.

Note that Business and Tourism Visas are only needed if you don’t meet one of the Visa Waiver conditions—for example, if your tourism or business stay exceeds 90 days. For tourists, this is the B2 Visa; for business travel, the B1 Visa.
If you’re a citizen of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, or any country not in the Visa Waiver Program, I recommend checking the US government website: www.ustraveldocs.com. This site has information organized by country of origin.
On the homepage, select your language at the top right. You’ll then see a page asking whether you’re an immigrant or non-immigrant. If you don’t plan to settle in the United States, select “Non-immigrant.” You’ll arrive at a page with information specific to your country. You can also schedule a Visa interview directly from there.

Questions?

Have questions? Feel free to ask on the New York forum. I and other forum members will be happy to help! 🙂