How do I find my ESTA?

How do I find my ESTA?

If you’ve already applied for ESTA online, you may be looking to get your hands on this temporary residence permit. To make things easier for you, we explain in detail how to find your ESTA online.

The application number to find an ESTA

If you have already submitted your ESTA application and paid the ESTA fee, your file exists in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection computer system.
The American authorities have assigned you a personal identifier linked to your application: the ESTA file number. This identifier is important since it will allow you to find your ESTA on the official US government website. Do you have your ESTA application number? Take the next step!

Retrieve an ESTA request

To find an ESTA, first click on the “Check ESTA status” tab, then select “Check individual status”. In this section, you will need to enter three pieces of information about the applicant:

  • passport number ;
  • his date of birth ;
  • its application number.

If these three elements match your application file, you will then be able to access your personal ESTA area.

Unable to find your ESTA application number: what to do?

Can’t find your ESTA application number? Don’t worry, there is another way to get your hands on your ESTA file. In “Retrieve an individual request”, simply select “I do not know the request number”. Instead of the three items of information listed above, you will need to fill in five data fields:

  • passport number;
  • the nationality ;
  • the date of issue of the passport;
  • passport expiry date ;
  • the birth date.

Once again, if this information is correct, you should be able to retrieve your ESTA without any problem.

Check the status of the application after finding your ESTA

Did you apply for ESTA authorization a few hours or days ago? It is imperative to ensure that you are indeed eligible for the visa waiver. For ESTA applications, there are three possible statuses.

ESTA application approved

If US Customs and Border Protection approves your application for temporary entry, this means you can stay on US soil for up to 90 days, for a total period of 24 months. The only condition is to have a valid passport. If your ESTA expires, you will be able to see in your online space that it is no longer valid.

ESTA request pending

ESTA pending status is common when the U.S. government website is faced with an influx of ESTA orders. The time to process your request is then extended somewhat. In all cases, whether your request is approved or rejected, you will receive a decision within a maximum of 72 hours.

ESTA application refused

Although rare, an ESTA application may be rejected if the traveler does not meet the eligibility criteria of the Visa Waiver Program. If this is your case, we suggest you contact the consular authorities or the American embassy as soon as possible to apply for a visa for the USA.

Find an ESTA authorization to update it

You’ve managed to find your ESTA authorization but it’s not up to date? Be aware that if the information on the ESTA form is no longer up to date, this may jeopardize your stay in the United States of America. For example, if you have changed your name following a marriage and your maiden name still appears on your ESTA, the customs services may refuse you access to American territory. In order to avoid this disappointment, you can first apply for a new passport in order to update your information on your identity document. Once this has been done, you will need to submit a new ESTA application online.