guide · USA · updated 2026-08-16

ESTA is not a form you discover at 1am in Terminal 3

UK travellers still treat US entry as optional paperwork. It is a paid authorisation with a memory.

Apply on the official CBP site. Authorisation is typically valid for two years or until the passport expires. A new passport usually needs a new ESTA.

Convictions, previous overstays or dual-nationality questions are not blog problems. Do not crowdsource them twelve hours before departure.

Source to verify. Only esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Lookalike paid sites are a cottage industry.

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