What’s an ESTA, you ask? It’s what you may need to get into the States – here’s how to get the right US visa.

With stunning national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, and legendary cities like New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, there are hundreds of reasons to visit the US.

To make your visit to the United States, you must either travel under the country’s Visa Waiver programme (with an ‘ESTA’), or have a US visa (or be a US citizen, of course).

The Visa Waiver programme

If you are from one of the following countries you can travel under this programme:

If you don’t come from one of these countries, you’ll need to apply for a visa via the US Embassy.

Applying for the US Visa Waiver programme

You must apply for the Visa Waiver programme online through the US Customs and Border Protection agency’s Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).

To obtain your ESTA:

• You must apply at least 72 hours before you travel
  
  
• You must hold an individual machine-readable passport (if you don’t, you’ll need to get a visa instead)
  
  
• You’ll need to pay a charge of $14 (around £8.50) per ESTA from the US Government website
  
  
• It’s very important to be accurate on your ESTA application
  
  
• Usually you will receive a response in seconds but for very few passengers it could take up to 72 hours
  
  
• If your ESTA is denied you will need to get a visa
  
  
• Your ESTA allows you to stay in the US for up to 90 days and allows travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean as long as you don’t fly home from these places
  
  
• Your ESTA is valid for two years (or less if your passport expires in that time)
  
  
• If you already have a visa for the US, you will not need an ESTA
  

Born in the US but hold a non-US passport?

A change in US government policy now means that anyone born in the United States is considered to be a US citizen. As a result, if you were born in the US but don’t hold a US passport, you’ll need a 'loss of nationality letter' to enter the country.

Please note that we are not able to carry passengers in these circumstances unless they have this letter, which can be obtained from the US embassy.