How to Apply for ESTA to Travel to the USA | Step-by-Step Guide |

What are the differences between ESTA, VISA & I-94

What is the difference between an ESTA, a visa and an I-94? The first thing to understand is that an ESTA isn't a visa and in no case does it meet the legal requirements to replace a U.S. visa when one is required. Likewise, travelers who have a valid U.S. visa shouldn't apply for an ESTA to enter the country. However, depending on the route of entry into the United States, even if you have an ESTA or a visa, you're required to apply for an I-94 as well.

Here you can find the differences between the three and when it's necessary to apply for each one:

When should I apply for ESTA?

ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is a system within the Visa Waiver Program that determines a person's eligibility to enter the United States for tourism or business purposes.

⚠️An approved ESTA doesn't guarantee that you'll be admitted to the United States, so you still run the risk of being denied entry once you arrive in the country.

These are the cases for which ESTA applies:

• If you want to stay in the United States for a maximum period of 90 days for tourism or business purposes, whether you're visiting New York or San Francisco for a few days or going on a longer West Coast road trip.
• If you're transiting through any airport in the United States, even if you aren't leaving the airport or going through immigration control. Therefore, if you have a flight with a stopover in the United States, you'll have to apply for ESTA regardless of the length of the stopover. When applying, there's a specific section for these cases.
• If you have a valid passport issued by one of these countries:

💡Remember that...

-You need a return ticket to enter the country.
-If you have children, they must have their own valid passport and an application must be made for each of them regardless of age. Children listed on their parents' passports don't qualify for ESTA.

When should I apply for a visa for the United States?

There're different types of visa for the United States, although the most common one for tourism is the B-2. This allows you to stay in the country for periods of 180 days and is valid for 10 years. The cost is $185, and these are the cases to which it applies:

• If you want to visit the United States for more than 90 days.
• If you're traveling to the United States for a purpose other than tourism or short-term business.
• You're transiting in the United States and aren't eligible for ESTA.
• If you've traveled to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen since March 1, 2011, or if you have dual citizenship in any of these countries (except for military personnel and government officials who have traveled to these countries on official business).
• If you've traveled to Cuba since January 12, 2021. We'll discuss the specific case of Cuba later, as there's a particularity when applying for ESTA.

💡Recommended: How to apply for a Visa to travel to the USA |Step-by-Step Guide|

When should I request the I-94?

The I-94 is a form that controls the entry and exit of foreigners in the United States. Previously, it had to be processed together with the ESTA or visa regardless of the route of entry into the country, but now it's only mandatory if you enter the United States by land or ferry. For example: if you start a road trip through Canada, want to combine it with the USA, and are going to enter the country through one of its land border crossings, you'll need the I-94 (in addition to your ESTA or visa).

The I-94 is also processed per person, and although you can do it directly at the border, it's advisable to apply online in advance through the official I-94 website. If you do it online, keep in mind that the application is valid for 7 days. For example: if you apply for the I-94 on January 10, you'll have until January 17 to enter the USA. If you exceed this date, you'll have to make a new application (and pay again).

The cost of the I-94 is $30 as of September 30, 2025 (previously $6). It's best not to miss the deadline if you apply online! If you apply at the border, you can pay by card.

How long does the ESTA last

The ESTA is valid for a period of two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. The validity is for multiple trips to the United States, which means that if you're going to make several trips of less than 90 days to the United States during a 2-year period, you don't need to reapply for ESTA.

⚠️If, at the time of applying for ESTA, your passport has an expiration date of less than 2 years, the approved ESTA will expire on the same date as your passport. For example: if you apply for ESTA in June 2026 and your passport expires in January 2027, your ESTA won't be valid for 2 years, but will last until January 2027.

Other important things to keep in mind:

• When traveling to the United States with an approved ESTA, you'll only be able to stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days from the day you first entered (not from the day your ESTA was approved).
• A reasonable amount of time should pass between visits so that it doesn't appear that you want to stay and live in the United States. This is complicated because there is no specific number of days established, and it's somewhat at the discretion of the official.
• The days continue to count even if you leave the United States to visit a neighboring country (Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands). For instance: if you travel around the United States for 30 days and then go to Canada for 10 more days, you'll have "used" up 40 days of your total 90-day period. In other words, the count of days doesn't stop once you leave the USA for these countries.
• If your ESTA expires while you're in the United States, it isn't a problem; it's only necessary to be valid at the time of entry.

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The ESTA if you've traveled to Cuba

The United States designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on January 12, 2021. This date is important because individuals who have traveled to Cuba on or after this date aren't eligible to apply for ESTA and are required to apply for a visa to travel to the United States. In addition, if a traveler has dual nationality and one of them is Cuban, the same applies.

Many people believe that, since Cuba didn't previously stamp passports, it's impossible for the United States to know that you've been there. This isn't the case, as airlines traveling to Cuba are required to report all passengers entering the country to the US. If you lie about this on your ESTA application, you'll most likely be denied entry once you arrive in the US (and this applies for life). Conclusion: never lie!

If your trip to Cuba was before January 12, 2021, there is no problem and your ESTA will be approved, but you must indicate that you have been to this country and the specific dates of your trip. The problem is that the website is confusing, as it states the following:

"Have you traveled to, or been present in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011?"

In other words, they put Cuba in the same group as the other countries, even though the date established is different. In this case, you have to answer "Yes" and a drop-down menu will appear where you can choose the country (in this case, Cuba) and the specific dates of your trip. Here is a screenshot so you can see it clearly:

How much does the ESTA cost

As of January 1, 2026, the price of ESTA for travel to the United States is $40.27 per person. This price includes various fees:

• Processing fee: $10.27.
• Authorization fee: $30. This amount consists of a $17 travel promotion fee and a $13 General Fund fee.

According to the official website, if your ESTA application is denied, you only pay the $10.27 application processing fee. We have no experience with this scenario, but we understand that the difference in price should be refunded to the payment method you used.

How to apply for the ESTA: Step by Step Guide

We've had to apply for ESTA on several occasions, so we're going to give you a clear step-by-step tutorial to make it easy for you to complete the process 😉 You can also download the ESTA App on both Android and Apple devices and do it from there.

It's recommended that you submit your application at least 72 hours before your trip, but we advise you to do so earlier in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Applications are usually approved within hours, but it may take longer in some cases.

⚠️VERY IMPORTANT: there's only one official ESTA website. Apply here, as there're dozens of websites online that charge much more money. If you don't feel capable of completing the process yourself, you can use the services of this website specialized in visas (we've used on occasion). It'll be more expensive, but you won't have to worry about a thing!

1. Go to the official website and create a new application

Go to the official website and change the language if you need it. You'll find this option at the top right of the website.

On the same home page, you will see the option to "Create new application" or "Continue existing application." In this tutorial, we're going to create a new one. The other option is if you've left an application half-finished and want to continue with it. You'll be asked to choose between two options (the process is the same for both):

• Individual Application: if you only want to apply for one person.
• Group of Applications: if you want to apply for several people at once (couple, family, group of friends, etc.).

After making your selection, you'll be redirected to a page where you must accept the terms and conditions and click "Next" to continue.

2. Upload your passport

The next step is to upload your passport. A pop-up window will automatically appear, allowing you to upload your passport either using the "from camera" option (if you want to take a photo right away) or "from gallery" (if you already have the document scanned on your computer). Remember that the system does not accept PDF files; the document must be in JPG format.

Once you've uploaded your passport, the system will automatically retrieve the information from it. Click on "add to my application" to continue.

3. Take a selfie

It's time to upload a selfie! In the next pop-up, you'll have the option to upload an image of your face, either by taking it at that moment with your device's camera or by uploading a jpg image that you already have saved.

4. Review and fill in your personal details

Once all the images have been uploaded, it's time to review all the data that the system has automatically taken from your passport and fill in any blanks. You'll be asked for:

• First and family name
• Passport number / Issuing Country / issuance date / expiration date
• Country of nationality
• National ID number
• Sex
• Date of birth / city of birth / country of birth

On the same page, you must fill in the information for Other citizenship/Nationality. Check "yes" if you have or have had a second nationality, otherwise check "no."

Add a valid email address at the end and click "Next" to continue with the process. A window will appear to verify the email address you've entered. Click "Send code" and enter the code you received by email.

5. Fill in more personal information

Once the code has been validated, you must continue filling in other personal details and answer some questions:

• Are you known by any other names or aliases? If yes, please list them (up to 10 can be entered).
• Have you ever been issued a passport or national identity card for travel by any other country?
• Contact information: address and phone number.
• Social Media. Currently, this field is optional, but there is speculation that it'll become mandatory in the future. For now, check the box "I do not have an online presence."
• GE/NEXUS/SENTRI membership. To be honest, we have no idea what this is, just say no and that's it 😂
• Parents. First and last names of your parents.
• Employment information. You must indicate whether you have a current or previous employer and provide details about them, i.e., the company you work for.

Click "Next" to continue.

6. Provide your travel information

In this step, you must answer whether your trip to the United States is in transit to another country or not:

• Yes. If you're making a stopover at a US airport without leaving the airport or going through immigration. In this case, you'll be asked to fill in the details of a contact person (friend, family member, etc.).
• No. If your final destination is the United States. In this case, you'll be asked for the contact details of someone in the country. This can be a friend or family member, but if you don't know anyone, you can enter the name of the hotel where you'll be staying, including the address and telephone number (you can find this information online). You'll also need to enter the details of a contact person for emergency purposes.

Click "Next" to continue.

⚠️It doesn't matter if the hotel name and address you enter are not final, as this information is not important and no one will check it. However, if you want to do it properly, once your ESTA has been approved, you can always go back to your application and change this information.

7. Answer the eligibility questions

Next, you'll have to answer a series of questions about infectious diseases you may have, whether you've been arrested or convicted of a crime, whether you've distributed illegal drugs, whether you've been engaged in terrorist activities, whether you're seeking employment in the United States, etc.

As you can imagine, you must answer "no" to these questions in order to be approved. The only exception is question 9:

"Have you traveled to, or been present in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011?"

As we mentioned earlier, here you must indicate whether you've traveled to any of these countries since March 1, 2011, with the exact dates and the main reason for your trip. As you can see, even though the cut-off date for Cuba is January 12, 2021, it's still included in this list.

Therefore, if you've traveled to Cuba before this date, you're eligible to apply for ESTA. All you have to do is select "Cuba" from the drop-down menu and add the dates of your trip. If they are prior to January 12, 2021, you won't have any problems.

You'll need to certify that all answers are correct and click "Next" to continue.

8. Review and pay

Now all that remains is to review all the information and click "Confirm and continue" for each section. This is your last chance to correct any errors in the data!

Finally, all that's left is to pay the $40.27! You'll have to choose between the two payment methods (PayPal or credit/debit card), enter your details, and you're done.

How long does it take for the ESTA to be approved

As mentioned above, ESTA applications are usually approved within a few hours, but it can take longer. For this reason, it's recommended that you apply at least 72 hours before your trip, although we would do it further in advance. In fact, once you've your flights booked, it's best to shake it off!

If you don't receive an email with the approval/denial (sometimes it goes to the Spam folder), you can always check the status on the website, in the "Check ESTA Status" section. To do this, you'll need to re-enter your passport details and application number.

Remember that you don't need to print your ESTA, as everything is computerized!

What else is needed to travel to the USA

Apart from your ESTA (or visa), you'll need other things to organize your trip to the United States. In addition to reading all our guides to make sure you have the best itinerary 😊, remember these steps:

1. Take it out a travel insurance. You wouldn't dream of going to the United States without travel insurance, would you? Even if you think nothing will happen to you, trust us, it does. We've never used it in the US, but we have in Canada (where healthcare costs are just as high). Take a look at our comparison of travel insurance policies for the United States and decide which one suits you best.

2. Book your accommodation. The earlier you do this, the better. Hotels in the USA are expensive, so the sooner you book, the more money you'll save and the more availability you will find. Use this search engine to compare and book, and read our specific articles on accommodation:

• Where to stay in San Francisco
• Where to stay in New York
• Where to stay in Las Vegas
• Where to stay in Seattle

3. Get a card with no fees. In the US, you'll pay for practically everything by card, so to avoid currency exchange fees from regular banks, take a look to our post about the best travel cards for the USA. We recommend the Wise card, with it you can also withdraw dollars from ATMs free of charge (up to €200 per month).

4. Purchase an eSIM to have internet in the United States. If you want to have internet as soon as you set foot in the USA, we recommend purchasing an eSIM in advance. Don't miss our post about the best SIMs and eSIMs to travel to the USA! We use eSIMFlag because you get unlimited data at a great price, and we'll give you a 10% discount with the code TRIPTOUSA10!

We hope we've helped you with your ESTA application. Do you have any questions? Leave them in the comments!