ESTA + ETA

[Silversand]

Finished up my ESTA application yesterday & I've got an email this morning saying it's approved. 

Left the social media bit empty.

[Toepoke]

7 hours ago, Squirrelhumper said:

Less than an hour.

Cheers, good to know. I did the Canadian ETA this year and it was similar, but a lot cheaper!

 

[Squirrelhumper]

7 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

Cheers, good to know. I did the Canadian ETA this year and it was similar, but a lot cheaper!

 

Aye, i was just over £30 when it came off my Monzo. 

[Clyde1998]

[runningtings]

We are thinking of going to Canada for a few days between the Boston games. Do we need to apply for an ETA if we just rock up at the border with our passports?

[PSJ84]

1 minute ago, runningtings said:

We are thinking of going to Canada for a few days between the Boston games. Do we need to apply for an ETA if we just rock up at the border with our passports?

Your passport is fine. 

[runningtings]

Thanks!

[PSJ84]

9 minutes ago, runningtings said:

Thanks!

Apologies - ignore me. Your passport is fine depending on how you enter. No idea why I just assumed you’d be driving in. 
 

If you fly you will need an eTA. 

[runningtings]

Yeh we will be driving.

[Toepoke]

1 hour ago, Clyde1998 said:

Football messageboards not mentioned 👍

[mariokempes]

What's link for ESTA?

[Rich NATA]

It would appear my phone is incompatible with the ESTA app.

Plan B ?

[Northern Light]

5 minutes ago, Rich NATA said:

It would appear my phone is incompatible with the ESTA app.

Plan B ?

Ipad?

If all else fails you can still do it online using a computer

[kumnio]

On 12/8/2025 at 8:35 PM, macwomble said:

No need a new ESTA as it is tied in to the passport completely.

How true is that?

I can't get an ESTA due to visiting North Korea. I previously applied for an ESTA, and was knocked back and told I need to apply for a B2 visa.

Now have a new passport, but dont think I can just turn up with an ESTA.

[DesiScotsman]

Got the ESTA approved today. Took just over an hour to be authorised.

[NSIGN]

For those who haven’t done the ESTA yet remember when you get to the section that says -

“Have you ever been to Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Cuba, North Korea, Mordor, Castle Greyskull or Govanhill”

tick the box marked “NO”

[Lion Rampant]

12 hours ago, kumnio said:

How true is that?

I can't get an ESTA due to visiting North Korea. I previously applied for an ESTA, and was knocked back and told I need to apply for a B2 visa.

Now have a new passport, but dont think I can just turn up with an ESTA.

No you'll still need to get a B2 Visa, as even with a new passport you'd have to answer "yes" to the question "Have you travelled to, or been present in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011?"

That would result in you being denied the esta.

When he says the ESTA is tied to the passport he means that even if you've got time left on your ESTA, if your passport expires or you get a new one for whatever reason then you need a new ESTA for your new passport. It's not transferrable.

[dezmondo]

I've done the ESTA process many times over the years. Normally do it about a fortnight before I travel, so i get the full benefit of the 2 years. I wouldn't advise anyone to do it before May.

[Lion Rampant]

2 hours ago, dezmondo said:

I've done the ESTA process many times over the years. Normally do it about a fortnight before I travel, so i get the full benefit of the 2 years. I wouldn't advise anyone to do it before May.

Get your ESTA in place before you spend anything on flights, advising people to leave it until a month before they are due to travel is absolutely wild.

All it takes is one mistake on the form, or to be unlucky and have a similar or same name to someone on a watchlist and your ESTA will be denied. You'll then have absolutely no time to get a visa appointment and you'll not be able to travel.

All to get the full benefit of 2 years, which costs $40. Some gamble.

99 times out of 100 you would be fine, but it only takes that one time. I've seen it happen to a few people, one who lost out on a 2 week holiday because they left it till a week before and their ESTA got denied.

[dezmondo]

37 minutes ago, Lion Rampant said:

Get your ESTA in place before you spend anything on flights, advising people to leave it until a month before they are due to travel is absolutely wild.

All it takes is one mistake on the form, or to be unlucky and have a similar or same name to someone on a watchlist and your ESTA will be denied. You'll then have absolutely no time to get a visa appointment and you'll not be able to travel.

All to get the full benefit of 2 years, which costs $40. Some gamble.

99 times out of 100 you would be fine, but it only takes that one time. I've seen it happen to a few people, one who lost out on a 2 week holiday because they left it till a week before and their ESTA got denied.

Fair enough. I can't argue with that. 

I've applied for ESTA's every 2 years for the six of us, for the past 15+ years, and it's always been a quick process, even including once where we had an issue with us having travelled via Cuba.

On another note, I've known two folk to miss out on holidays, turning up to the airport to find out their ESTA was under their old passport. I think this is something that probably isn't on a lot of people's radar.

[Lion Rampant]

21 hours ago, dezmondo said:

Fair enough. I can't argue with that. 

I've applied for ESTA's every 2 years for the six of us, for the past 15+ years, and it's always been a quick process, even including once where we had an issue with us having travelled via Cuba.

On another note, I've known two folk to miss out on holidays, turning up to the airport to find out their ESTA was under their old passport. I think this is something that probably isn't on a lot of people's radar.

Unless you travel to the US even on a semi regular basis then it's definitely not something that would be on anyone's radar. There will be loads of folk travelling for these Scotland games who have never been to the US, or at least haven't been for a while and will likely not ever go again or certainly not go again within the timeframe of the ESTA they would be applying for. That's why I'm banging the drum for getting them in place asap.

I've just heard too many horror stories and seen some first hand that it's made me incredibly cautious with regards to making sure it's in place before spending a penny on flights. Would hate to see anyone fork out thousands and then lose it because they've made a daft mistake 👍

[Malfaetheburgh]

On 12/15/2025 at 7:56 AM, Lion Rampant said:

No you'll still need to get a B2 Visa, as even with a new passport you'd have to answer "yes" to the question "Have you travelled to, or been present in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011?"

That would result in you being denied the esta.

 

Not strictly correct you have to say if been to Cuba since 2011, but it only becomes an issue if it was after Jan 12 2021.

[Grantyboy1983]

Has anyone filled in their ESTA U.S point of contact as unknown? At this moment in time, I have only bought flights and have not arranged any hotels/alternative accommodation. Do you think it would be wise to proceed with the application as 'unknown' for this category or maybe wait until I have booked an NY hotel and then input that info? As others have already mentioned, I'm just trying to get this in place as soon as possible for peace of mind, but having never filled in an ESTA before, just wondering what the best approach is with this situation? I really don't want to have any issues with my application, thanks for any advice. I've just saved my application progress for now and can return to it in due course.

[Lion Rampant]

1 hour ago, Grantyboy1983 said:

Has anyone filled in their ESTA U.S point of contact as unknown? At this moment in time, I have only bought flights and have not arranged any hotels/alternative accommodation. Do you think it would be wise to proceed with the application as 'unknown' for this category or maybe wait until I have booked an NY hotel and then input that info? As others have already mentioned, I'm just trying to get this in place as soon as possible for peace of mind, but having never filled in an ESTA before, just wondering what the best approach is with this situation? I really don't want to have any issues with my application, thanks for any advice. I've just saved my application progress for now and can return to it in due course.

Yes, you can put in "unknown" and then update it as and when you know where you'll be staying.

When you fill in your API prior to travel you'll put that information in anyway so no burning need to update the ESTA after application/approval.

[Lion Rampant]

1 hour ago, Malfaetheburgh said:

Not strictly correct you have to say if been to Cuba since 2011, but it only becomes an issue if it was after Jan 12 2021.

Fair enough, but that's the question as it appears on the form.

You have to select yes to that if you've been to Cuba. This would result in your ESTA being denied, but this may be one of the questions that you can have a discussion about with DHS and if you'd been to Cuba prior to that date then they would possibly grant it.

However, my response was directed to a poster who had been to North Korea.