What happens if my ESTA expires on the day of arrival?
I'm French and will travel the 14th of June to the US. My ESTA expires the 14th of June 2013 and I'm wondering if my ESTA will be valid when I'll land in the US on the 14th of June 2013.
Does someone know anything about that?
Best Answer
You have an edge case. Typically, it is OK for the ESTA to expire during your visit. From US Customs and Border Protection website:
Does my ESTA need to be valid for my entire stay in the United States?
No, An ESTA is only required to be valid on the day you enter the United States. The ESTA does not need to be valid for the entire time a traveler is in the U.S.. If the ESTA expires while you are in the U.S., it will not affect your admissibility or the amount of time you are permitted to remain in the U.S. If an ESTA travel authorization expires before the traveler leaves the United States, the traveler is not required to apply for another. The traveler will need to apply for a new travel authorization through ESTA, however, for future travel.
You should either contact the nearest USA consulate and get a definitive on if it is considered valid for the day of expiration or not or, as most ESTA applications are approved within minutes, you could simply renew your ESTA. An ESTA may be renewed prior to the previous one expiring.
On the renewal front a little Googling turned up:
Please plan to apply at least 72 hours before you travel to allow time for ESTA processing.
On UsaEmbassy.gov. That is 3 days, so you are just about on the right side of the equation, depending on when your flight is. Most likely, since you already had an ESTA, you'll be approved automatically in minutes.
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What happens if your ESTA expires while in the US?
As long as you received an ESTA authorization to travel, you do not have to reapply during the validity period. If your ESTA expires while in the United States (U.S.) it will not affect your departure. It is important to PRINT a copy of the document for your records.Can I apply for an ESTA before it expires?
You may apply for a new ESTA at any time, even before your current one expires. Your previous ESTA information will be invalidated and a new travel authorization number will be issued when you apply for the new ESTA.It is not possible to recover invalidated ESTA information.What if my ESTA is not approved in time?
You will not be permitted to travel to the U.S. until you have applied for ESTA again, using correct information, and receive authorization. If your application is rejected due to an error in entering information, do not panic; wait at least 24 hours and then apply for ESTA again.What does ESTA expiration date mean?
An ESTA travel authorization expires two years from the date it was authorized formally. However, this is not the case if your passport will expire within two years. If your passport expires within two years after obtaining an ESTA, then the ESTA also will expire on the expiration date of your passport.What is the experience of traveling on an ESTA?
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Answer 2
I had the same situation and contacted the authorities and they replied by saying the ESTA is valid until the end of the day of the expiration date. So you can travel on the day of your ESTA expiry:
"Yes, the ESTA would be valid through 11:59 PM on its expiration date. You can use the ESTA if it will be valid for your date of travel and date of arrival. Note that if your travel or processing through immigration is delayed that this could cause problems if your ESTA will become expired during the delay. We hope this helps to answer your question."
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