US ESTA Requirements for Australians

The ESTA is a travel requirement for Australian citizens visiting the US if they plan to arrive by air, land or sea. If an Australian passport holder arrives at an American border crossing without an ESTA, they will be refused entry to the country.

Do not forget to apply for an ESTA for the US if planning a trip from Australia.

The ESTA is not a requirement for nationals of Australia who plan to move to the United States. In order to live and/or work in the country, the relevant type(s) of US visas are required instead.

Citizens of Australia can apply for the US ESTA online. There is a simple application form, which takes a matter of minutes to complete, and can be done from the traveler’s home or office.

The Australian applicant must enter the following information:

• Basic personal data
• Passport information
• Contact details

There are also a few questions to answer that pertain to health, travel history, and general security.

The following items are requirements for Australian citizens completing the US ESTA application:

• Valid Australian passport
• Payment method (credit or debit card) to cover the ESTA fee
• Active email address

All of these must be provided to obtain the ESTA.

When traveling to the USA with the ESTA, visitors from Australia must carry the passport that was used to complete the application.

If the registered passport is lost, damaged, stolen, or rendered invalid, the Australian traveler must reapply for the ESTA and register the details of their new passport.

The ESTA has several advantages for travelers from Australia.

The principal benefit is that registering with the system means that Australian passport holders can visit the USA without having to go to a US embassy to apply for a visa, which is a much longer process with more requirements than the ESTA application.

Overall, applying for the ESTA from Australia is a much quicker and easier process than traditional US visa applications thanks to a streamlined automated system.

The ESTA was implemented to increase security by running checks on travelers from countries in the Visa Waiver Program. Before its introduction, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could screen arrivals with a visa, but the ability to perform background checks on visa-exempt travelers was limited.

Thanks to the ESTA, visitors from Visa Waiver countries, like Australia, can continue to enjoy visa exemption for the USA, but the added screening helps CBP to prevent security risks and makes traveling to the United States safer.