🇺🇸 Visa types
ESTA (USA)
Updated: October 2026
Visa-free US travel for Germans and EU citizens – $40, 2 years, 90 days.
What it is
Electronic System for Travel Authorization for citizens of the 42 Visa Waiver countries (Germany, all EU except Cyprus, Romania since 2025, UK, Japan and others). $40, valid 2 years or until passport expiry, stays up to 90 days for tourism, business, transit. Usually answered in minutes, officially up to 72 hours – apply at least 72 hours before departure.
Who cannot get ESTA
Dual nationals with a passport from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, North Korea; travellers who visited those countries since 2011 or Cuba since 2021; previous visa refusals or overstays; certain criminal records. Then a B1/B2 visa is needed. A German residence permit alone does not qualify for ESTA – nationality counts.
Our approach
Check eligibility (incl. travel history), complete the application at esta.cbp.dhs.gov, you pay the $40 by card, we check the approval and explain entry and CBP questions. If refused: B1/B2 application with interview preparation.
Our fee: Document check from €150, full support for one application from €490. Government fees, translations and apostille are charged separately and quoted in advance. Prices →