Electronic System for Travel Authorization, for your short stay in the USA:
The ESTA program, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, allows people from 37 countries to access the USA without requiring a visa. A simple authorization given by the American authorities is enough to authorize a stay of 90 days maximum on American soil.
The Visa Waiver Programme was launched in 2008 to improve the effectiveness of immigration controls at the border after 11 September.
The ESTA program, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, was created in 2008 to allow citizens of the 37 countries that have signed Visa Waiver Program to enter the United States without a visa. This simplified process, also called visa waiver, saves you from the tedious process of applying for a visa if you fall within its scope. ESTA is reserved for people who travel to the USA for professional and tourist reasons, but whose stay does not exceed 90 days on American soil.
The United States requires ESTA-certified travellers to travel on a US-accepted airline and possess a biometric passport. Easier to obtain than a visa, ESTA is issued in 99.9% of cases.
Are you a French citizen? You are lucky, because French citizens are eligible for the exemption program of VISA or ESTA. Why lucky? Quite simply, because of the 197 countries in the world, only 37 countries participate in the programme.
This means that citizens of other countries must apply for a VISA at the U. S. embassy, even if they are in transit or want to go there for a few days on vacation.
| Andorra | Denmark | Iceland | Luxembourg | Saint Marin | Taiwan |
| Australia | Estonia | Italy | Malta | Singapore | United Kingdom |
| Austria | Finland | Korea (South) | Monaco | Slovakia | |
| Belgium | France | Japan | New Zealand | Slovenia | |
| Brunei | Germany | Lettonia | Norway | Spain | |
| Chile | Greece | Liechtenstein | Netherland | Switzerland | |
| Czech Republic | Hungary | Lituania | Portugal | Taiwan |
It should be noted that Greece is the last country to have entered the ESTA system. Greek citizens have been able to apply for ESTA since 5 April 2012.
To obtain ESTA, you must apply for it on the online form. You will need to indicate your Indenter, complete contact information and family status, as well as your medical condition and the reasons for your trip. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization is granted in most cases and you will receive your answer within 24 to 48 hours of your request.
