Citizens of Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore with an electronic passport need ESTA for short trips to the USA by air or sea.
ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is an electronic travel authorisation linked to your passport. You need it for tourist or business trips to the USA of up to 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program.
More about ESTA
Citizens of Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore with an electronic passport need ESTA before travelling to the USA by air or sea, even if they are only changing planes there. Citizens of countries outside the programme, such as India, the Philippines or Nigeria, need a visa instead. Study, work or stays of more than 90 days also require a visa.
Check whether you need ESTA
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Have these ready for your ESTA application:
You apply at esta.cbp.dhs.gov or in the ESTA Mobile app.
ESTA is required when you arrive by air or sea, including when you are only changing planes at a US airport on the way to another country. One authorisation covers multiple trips during its validity.
More on travel rulesWhat travellers from these countries need to know: an electronic passport, 2 years of validity and stays of up to 90 days per entry.
Stays of up to 90 days: the rules
When to submit your application and how long your ESTA remains valid.
ESTA is valid for 2 years from the date of issue and allows multiple entries to the USA. If your passport expires sooner, your ESTA expires with it, so renew your passport first and then apply for ESTA with the new passport.
Most applications receive a decision quickly. If a decision cannot be made straight away, the status shows “Authorization Pending”. This is not a refusal: check your status again later, and CBP will let you know the outcome. CBP recommends applying as soon as you book your trip and at least 72 hours before departure. Once approved, you receive a confirmation email; it is a good idea to keep a copy (a screenshot or printout).
ESTA applies to citizens of Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and the other Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries who travel to the USA for tourism, business or transit. It allows stays of up to 90 days.
ESTA is required for travel to all US territory: the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii, as well as US territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.
US airports have no transit area that bypasses border control. Even for a simple connection you must go through US immigration, so ESTA (or a visa) is required.
ESTA covers short stays for tourism, business and transit, each of up to 90 days. Longer stays, work and study require the appropriate US visa.
Yes. Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore all take part in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Citizens travelling to the USA under the VWP for tourism, business or transit need a valid ESTA authorisation before they travel. English speakers from countries outside the VWP (for example India, the Philippines or Nigeria) cannot use ESTA and need a visa.
From 16 October 2026 the ESTA fee is US$40.62. The authorisation is valid for 2 years from the date of issue (or until your passport expires, if sooner) and allows multiple entries to the USA, each for up to 90 days.
ESTA is a simplified authorisation under the Visa Waiver Program for short stays of up to 90 days. It costs US$40.62 from 16 October 2026 and you apply online. A US visa is needed for longer stays, for work or for study, and applying for one is a longer and more expensive process.
The basics of the ESTA system
A step-by-step guide to the form
What the fee covers
When you need to renew your ESTA
What to have ready before you apply
Link to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website
After arrival: 90 days, driving, money, SIM, healthcare, children, TSA
Apply for ESTA on the official website and check your status in good time.
