ESTA transit in the USA

Does your next flight include a stopover in the USA? Then you need a valid travel authorization for the United States. We provide all the important facts about ESTA transit.

When traveling to the United States, you need either a US visa or an ESTA travel authorization. This also applies if you only have a stopover in the USA and do not leave the airport premises. Even a short stay at a US airport means entering the USA.

The easiest option for travelers is the practical ESTA authorization, which allows visa-free entry into the USA. However, you must be a citizen of one of the countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program. These include, for example, most countries of the European Union, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

With the obligation for an ESTA approval or a US visa, the American authorities want to keep security risks for the US territory as small as possible. Regardless of whether traveling for a longer period of time or a simple ESTA transit, the identity of all passengers entering the USA is checked in advance.

The ESTA application for transit in the USA takes only a few minutes and is usually processed within 72 hours. Unlike the US visa, a personal appointment at the consulate is not required.

When filling out the ESTA application for your transit, you enter all relevant information about yourself and your journey to the USA step by step. This includes:

• Personal and contact data
• Passport data
• Employer information
• Emergency contact information
• Social media profile information (optional)

The only difference when applying for the transit ESTA compared to the "classic" ESTA is that you have to indicate a transit in the application form. To do this, simply answer "Yes" to the question about a " transit to another country" and you can skip the entry for a contact in the United States.

In some cases, ESTA transit is not possible even if you come from a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program. This can have different reasons, for example:

• You have dual citizenship from Iran, Iraq, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, or Sudan.
• You have been in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, or Sudan since March 1st, 2011.
• You have been in Cuba since January 12th, 2021.
• Your answer to at least one of the ESTA security questions is "yes" (e.g., if you have a criminal record).
• You have already been denied an ESTA.
• You have already been refused entry to the USA.

If you are unable to apply for ESTA transit or your ESTA application has been denied, you may apply for a transit visa (C visa) for transiting the United States. Note that a visa application for the USA should be made at least four to six weeks before your departure.

The fee for an ESTA transit does not differ from the ESTA cost of a regular travel authorization. From the date of issue, most ESTA authorizations are valid for a total of two years or until the passport expires. During the validity period, you may enter or transit the USA multiple times.

Exceptions apply to travelers from Brunei and Hungary. They will be issued ESTA permits for only one year instead of the regular two years. In addition, Hungarian travelers must apply for a new ESTA for each visit to the USA.