Online form
The formalities for entering the United States for a stay of less than 90 days can be carried out directly via the Internet. It is not necessary to make an appointment at the American embassy or consulate.
The online form can be completed in a few minutes if you have your travel documents with you, all you need to do is enter the personal information requested in order to obtain the ESTA. Payment is made directly after completing the online form, you will then receive confirmation in a few minutes that your ESTA has been validated.
Processing times for an ESTA online application
As soon as the payment is validated, the ESTA request immediately goes into processing. The processing is done by computer and usually only takes a few minutes. As soon as the request is processed, the response is sent by email to the requestor’s address indicated in the file.
In some cases, the response does not arrive within a few minutes. Nothing to worry about, the US administration is giving itself up to 72 hours to respond to the requester. It is for this reason that the administration recommends making your request at least 3 days before departure.
How long the ESTA is valid
ESTA is valid for 2 years. You cannot travel to the United States if your ESTA certificate is no longer valid during your trip. To find out if your ESTA is still valid when you plan to travel to the United States again, you can go to the US Customs and Borders website to check the status of your ESTA beforehand.