The United States of America is a country that many people would like to visit at least once in their lifetime. Because the country is so large (the third largest country in the world in terms of both mass and population), it has something for everyone.
The USA has beautiful national parks for hikers and nature lovers, but also bustling cities straight out of the movies, and pearly-white beaches. Travelling to the USA requires a travel authorisation: the ESTA visa.
Beautiful nature and bustling cities
The United States has numerous beautiful national parks, such as the world-famous Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite. Another national park that is absolutely worth visiting is Sequoia National Park. The giant sequoias that grow there - and from which the park gets its name – can make you feel like Alice in Wonderland, where everything is suddenly three times as big. There are several national parks in the USA that have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites (including those mentioned above), which in itself is reason enough to visit them. Other national parks that make up this prestigious list include Mesa Verde National Park, which is the second largest national park in the US after Yellowstone and has many archaeological sites; Mammoth Cave National Park, which is home to the largest cave complex in the world; Hawaii Volcanoes National Park which, thanks to hundreds of thousands of years of volcanic activity, has a surreal landscape; and the International Peace Park, Waterton Glacier, which includes Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park and America's Glacier National Park. In both parks, one finds pristine landscapes of breath-taking beauty.
Besides beautiful natural landscapes, the United States is also home to internationally renowned cities that tourists love to visit. New York is without a doubt one of the most popular and famous cities in in the US, if not the most famous. In it, you can find well-known sights like the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park and Broadway. Other famous cities are San Francisco with its Golden Gate Bridge, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. Those that want to visit a city that offers something different should consider going to New Orleans, where you can clearly see the French and Spanish influences.
To travel to the United States, you need an ESTA or a visa. European citizens generally do not need a visa to travel to the USA. They can instead apply for the cheaper and easier to get ESTA.
Apply for a travel authorisation on time
If you’re travelling to the USA without an American or Canadian passport, you need to get an ESTA before departure. Applying for an ESTA is easier and cheaper than applying for a visa. In order to be eligible for an ESTA, you must hold a passport issued by a country participating in the Visa Waiver Programme. The ESTA is valid for 2 years from the moment it is approved. During these two years, you are allowed to make an unlimited number of trips to the USA, each stay lasting a maximum of 90 days. This means that if you can’t visit all of the parks and cities in one trip, you can always come back next year without needing to buy a new ESTA.
How does an ESTA application work?
If you meet all the requirements, you can apply for an ESTA quickly and easily online: filling in the application form only takes a few minutes. In addition to filling in contact, travel and passport details, you have to answer a number of background questions. Once the fees have been paid, the application will be processed within 72 hours. Travellers who require the ESTA in the near future may consider submitting an urgent application. The ESTA is then granted within an hour.
After approval of the application, a confirmation of the approval will be sent via email. It is not necessary to print this confirmation. The ESTA is digitally linked to the passport number of the traveller. This means that airlines and Homeland Security can already tell by your passport number if you have a valid ESTA.
