You’re planning a trip to the USA, but you don’t know how to fill out your ESTA form? Many questions remain about the ESTA authorization, particularly the procedure when you don’t have a contact in the USA or an address once there. How to fill out your ESTA without this information and validate it will be the main topics of this article.
The authorization request form
Unlike a visa application, applying for an ESTA authorization does not require going to the American embassy. The ESTA application must be submitted online through the ESTA form. This form is found on the official US government website, specially created for this purpose. Note that it is possible to use a private website specializing in ESTA if you think you need assistance in filling out the form.
Everyone, regardless of age, must fill out a form. Thus, it is entirely possible to make a group application. The form to be filled out requires having the valid passport of the traveler(s) and knowing the person personally, as the questions asked are very specific. Each traveler, regardless of age, must have an electronic passport or a biometric passport.
ESTA originates from the visa waiver program. Therefore, if you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, there is no need to fill out the form. As a French, Belgian, or Swiss national, you are entitled to apply for authorization, if you do not have dual nationality with Iraqi, Syrian, Sudanese, or Iranian citizenship.
The ESTA form includes questions about your person (identification using your passport data, but also your contact information, employment, etc.), your current situation (health status, criminal record, affiliation with a criminal organization, etc.) and your trip to the USA.
How to fill out an ESTA without a specific travel plan
The ESTA is valid for two years, if the validity of the passport to which it is linked allows it. Multiple trips to the United States are authorized during this period, provided that the VWP requirements are respected (tourist trip, business trip or transit only, maximum 90 days on American territory per stay, entry into American soil by air or sea). The question then arises of how to fill in the fields relating to the stay.
Filling out an ESTA without having an address in the USA
In addition to questions about your personal information, contact details, or passport number, part of the online form asks you to provide some information about your trip to the USA. The first question concerns the nature of the trip: transit or stay. If you choose ‘stay’, you will be asked for an address in the USA.
If you do not have an address or if you are not yet aware of one, it is possible to write ‘unknown’ as an answer. This means that you do not have this information and are therefore unable to provide it immediately. Rest assured, not providing an answer to this question when filling out your ESTA is not detrimental to obtaining it.
Similarly, if your plan is to take a road trip across the United States of America, or to visit several American cities, you can simply enter the name of the hotel in your arrival city.
Be aware that it is possible to update this information once you have your ESTA, by connecting to the portal via your application number or your passport information (issuing country, passport number, date of issue and expiration date).
Filling out your ESTA form without having a contact in the USA
The next question can also be problematic, as it concerns the name of an emergency contact once on site. Again, there’s no need to panic if you don’t know anyone. This information is also optional and does not necessarily require a precise answer from you to correctly fill out your ESTA form.
As with the question about your address during your stay in the USA, you simply need to answer ‘unknown’ in the corresponding box and you’re done. You also have the option to provide the phone number of your hotel.
As you can see, filling out your ESTA form without knowing this information is not a problem.
How to validate an ESTA application?
The online form is the only step required to apply for an ESTA. No supporting documents are necessary. Thus, to validate your application, you simply need to pay the required fee: 21 US dollars for an application made on the official website and a bit more for an application made through a service provider (price depends on the service provided).
Once validated, your application is processed by the electronic systems set up by the American authorities. The final response will be known within 72 hours. If the authorization is approved, you can travel to the USA without a visa. If it is denied, you can either submit a new application (if you notice an error in the form) or apply for an American visa through the consular services of the US Embassy.
