Citizens of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries and territories (including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) travelling to the US for 90 days or less, for tourism or business. The full list is in the official FAQ at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

How much does an ESTA cost?

40.27 USD per application on the official website, esta.cbp.dhs.gov (fee checked on 4 October 2026). You pay again for any new application, for example with a new passport.

How long is an ESTA valid?

2 years, or until your passport expires if sooner, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It allows stays of up to 90 days, for tourism or business, without a visa.

Where do you apply for an ESTA?

Only on the official website, esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Be wary of websites offering to apply for you: they are not US government websites.

ESTA for the USA: cost, validity and how long ours took

Q: When should you apply for an ESTA?

US authorities recommend applying as soon as you start planning, ideally before buying your plane tickets. You can apply at any time before you travel.

Key figures

ESTA: official information (CBP), checked on 4 October 2026
Fact	Value	Source
ESTA application fee	40.27 USD	Link Checked on 4 October 2026
Maximum stay without a visa with an ESTA (tourism or business)	90 days	Link Checked on 4 October 2026
Validity of an approved ESTA	2 years, or until your passport expires if sooner	Link Checked on 4 October 2026
Visa Waiver Program countries (ESTA eligible)	42 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand	Link Checked on 4 October 2026
Passport required to travel with an ESTA	e-passport (with a chip and the international symbol on the cover)	Link Checked on 4 October 2026
When to apply, according to US authorities	as soon as you start planning, ideally before buying your plane tickets	Link Checked on 4 October 2026
Only official application website	esta.cbp.dhs.gov	Link Checked on 4 October 2026

Our experience

In April 2024, we flew into New York and flew home from Washington.

We applied for our ESTA on 18 December 2023, for a trip at the end of April 2024. The approval arrived on 22 January 2024: more than a month’s wait. Our advice: don’t leave your application until the last few weeks.

On arrival, the officer asked for our passports, what we were coming to the US for and where we were staying. Keep your hotel’s address to hand.

What is the ESTA for?

It lets citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days. The programme covers 42 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand (full list in the official FAQ). For the UK, this only applies to British citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode, according to CBP. If your country isn’t on the list, the ESTA isn’t for you: check with the US embassy which document you need. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) points out that an approved ESTA doesn’t guarantee entry: the border officer decides on arrival.

How much does the ESTA cost?

40.27 USD per application, according to the FAQ on the official website, checked on 4 October 2026. That’s the fee on esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Going through a third-party website won’t speed up approval, according to CBP, and these sites aren’t run by the US government.

How long is it valid?

According to CBP, it’s valid for 2 years, or until your passport expires if sooner, for multiple trips. So if last year’s ESTA is still valid, you don’t need a new one.

If you get a new passport, or in a few other cases, you have to apply and pay again (40.27 USD). The full list: new passport, change of name or citizenship, or a different answer to an eligibility question. If your ESTA expires while you’re in the US, it doesn’t affect your departure, according to CBP.

When should you apply?

CBP recommends applying as soon as you start planning, ideally before buying your plane tickets. You can apply at any time before you travel, but applying early means you won’t have booked a flight you can’t use if you’re refused.

What passport do you need?

An e-passport (with a chip and the international symbol on the cover). Check for the symbol on the cover before you apply.

Where do you apply?

Only on esta.cbp.dhs.gov, the CBP website. Be wary of websites offering to apply for you: they aren’t US government websites.

More on New York

All our articles about the city are on the New York page.