How To ESTA

[kittykitty87]

I'd do it a couple of weeks before your trip. That way, you might be able to squeeze in an additional trip before the ESTA expires. So the cost per trip would (for the ESTA fee) would go down...

Thanks for the advice. I always panic about holiday's and want to make sure everything is done NOW! However now you have said that, I can leave it for a little while

 

[claireanddylan]

Hi Guys,

I purchased my ESTA last year for a trip in April 2011. I am going back to Disney in June so am I right in thinking it would now be in date? Do I need to do anything or will it automatically show that I have a valid esta?

Thanks in advance!

 

[wayneg]

Hi Guys,

I purchased my ESTA last year for a trip in April 2011. I am going back to Disney in June so am I right in thinking it would now be in date? Do I need to do anything or will it automatically show that I have a valid esta?

Thanks in advance!

If you have not renewed passports since buying your ESTA then it will still be valid, they are valid for 2 years.
Some people like to update their info on the ESTA site, I don't, I prefer to leave it as it is.
You should get an email when they are about to expire(unless you changed your email address since buying) I got emails a few weeks back to say ours were about to expire, I now need to buy new ones before our July trip.

 

[bex7583]

i am still realy confused about my other halfs esta!!! i have been told by north america travel he doesnt need one, but thomson says he does

he has a criminal record but it was all before the age of 18 , north america travel says it specifically asks if you have a crime after the age of 18 which he hasnt .

i have looked on the embassy website visa wizard thing and taht says he does but it doesnt ask anything about his age or when he got his criminal record

he has filled the esta thing in and it was approved , but i definatey dont want to get this part of our trip wrong and him been denied entry or something

 

[wayneg]

i have looked on the embassy website visa wizard thing and taht says he does but it doesnt ask anything about his age or when he got his criminal record

Is there a phone number for the Embassy? rather than using an online wizard it might be better speaking to someone.

 

[bex7583]

yes i have a phone number just wanted o avoid the £1.23 per min charge of ringing it !!

 

[BlondeViki]

Does everyone use the site in the OP to do this? OH is trying to use a European site but they charge 45euros for processing it! I thought the link given in this post was the only official one...

 

[wayneg]

Does everyone use the site in the OP to do this? OH is trying to use a European site but they charge 45euros for processing it! I thought the link given in this post was the only official one...

Yes there is only one official link which will charge $14pp, don't use any other link, you have no idea who they are or what they will do with your info or credit card.

 

[Cyrano]

If you have not renewed passports since buying your ESTA then it will still be valid, they are valid for 2 years.
Some people like to update their info on the ESTA site, I don't, I prefer to leave it as it is.
You should get an email when they are about to expire(unless you changed your email address since buying) I got emails a few weeks back to say ours were about to expire, I now need to buy new ones before our July trip.

I wish I had read this before updating ours

Thought that the troops and mine might be close to renewal as ours were made before the charge was introduced. As it is I must have done ours in September 2010 as they expire later this year.
I updated the flights and address details.

As DW got a new passport in February 2011 I had to pay for a new ESTA as this involved a name change.
For some reason I have not recorded her ESTA number.
Tried putting in details name, dob, passport number and it states that there is no application.

Any suggestions how to find ESTA number ?

 

[wayneg]

For some reason I have not recorded her ESTA number.
Tried putting in details name, dob, passport number and it states that there is no application.

Any suggestions how to find ESTA number ?

Don't know if they have resolved the Chrome issue, some were having problems retrieving their Esta if they used Chrome. Which browser you using? would have thought they had sorted it now, its from a while ago.
Maybe someone will post with ideas, I have never tried to retrieve one.

 

[2Tiggies]

Don't know if they have resolved the Chrome issue, some were having problems retrieving their Esta if they used Chrome. Which browser you using? would have thought they had sorted it now, its from a while ago.
Maybe someone will post with ideas, I have never tried to retrieve one.

Wow, thanks for the heads up. I still have to do new ones for ourselves, once I get around to renewing DD's passport - and I wasn't even aware of a chrome issue. I will remember that. Maybe I will just use IE when I apply for them too, if that makes any difference. I can do without unnecessary stress, lol

 

[Cyrano]

Don't know if they have resolved the Chrome issue, some were having problems retrieving their Esta if they used Chrome. Which browser you using? would have thought they had sorted it now, its from a while ago.
Maybe someone will post with ideas, I have never tried to retrieve one.

I was using Chrome and then tried Safari but got no joy either.

Meant to say given the potential ear ache I would get if DW was not admitted entry I thought I would would just re-apply.
Got to almost the end of the application and I was advised that there was an existing ESTA application with 30 days or more remaining.

Might try Firefox to see if that is any better

 

[wayneg]

Wow, thanks for the heads up. I still have to do new ones for ourselves, once I get around to renewing DD's passport - and I wasn't even aware of a chrome issue. I will remember that. Maybe I will just use IE when I apply for them too, if that makes any difference. I can do without unnecessary stress, lol

Done some Googling and this info dated 2009 so I am sure it will have been resolved unless they have had more issues since, didn't think it was so long ago. http://www.usembassy.org.uk/visaservices/?p=576

 

[Mummycat]

This thread has been really useful so thank you for all the great tips. Just one little question from me- it says that payment has to be made by credit card. Well we only have a debit card so would they accept that too? Thanks guys

 

[wayneg]

This thread has been really useful so thank you for all the great tips. Just one little question from me- it says that payment has to be made by credit card. Well we only have a debit card so would they accept that too? Thanks guys

No problem with debit card, our relatives paid theirs by debit card last year. Just be careful with fees, our Halifax debit card would have fees of £1.50+ 2.75% for each ESTA, a very expensive way of paying.

 

[Mummycat]

Thanks for that info, it's just so frustrating that there should be a charge on an instant debit payment and not when adding it to credit card debt! Oh well whatever it takes to get there! Thanks again

 

[bazzanoid]

Thanks for that info, it's just so frustrating that there should be a charge on an instant debit payment and not when adding it to credit card debt! Oh well whatever it takes to get there! Thanks again

It's because it's an American site - it's not the US government sticking you with the charge, it's just purely the UK banks charging you for using your debit card 'abroad' - some credit cards have a foreign transaction fee as well.

Always worth checking if you're with more than one bank to see who offers the lowest international transaction rates, then move money around if necessary to make it as cheap as possible!

 

[wayneg]

As above, its because its a US site. It will be same if you use your debit card in the US. Its the reason many of us get a credit card with no fees for foreign transactions. I use the Post offce credit card, no fees and full intebank rate.

 

[Mummycat]

Oh yes that makes sense I was thinking it was a uk sight duuuuh! There was me getting all cynical about the world!
Fab I'll have a look at my bank and see what they do. I'm looking at getting one of the post office travel cards you can pre load for the trip as heard good things. Thanks both of you

 

[2Tiggies]

What is the current cost of an ESTA? Sorry but it's been 2 years and I got my last ones free so I'm out of touch with this payment thing.

Oh and thanks for the heads up about the card fees. I will be sure to use the right fee free card. I probably wouldn't have thought of that if I'd not read this.