US ESTA Visa Requirements for Germans

Applying for a US ESTA visa waiver from Germany is a straightforward process. Applicants are required to complete the ESTA online application. This only takes a few minutes to fill in with the following information:

Personal details:

• Full name
• Country of citizenship
• Gender
• Date of birth
• City of birth

Contact information:

• Home Address
• Contact telephone number

Passport details:

• Passport number
• Passport issue/expiry date
• Issuing country of passport

It is also a good idea for German applicants to provide a phone number and/or email address for an emergency contact, although this is not mandatory.

As part of the application process, it is also necessary to answer security and health-related questions. The answers will be pre-screened by the US Department of Homeland Security in order to determine the traveler’s eligibility to enter the United States.

It should be noted that certain German citizens may not be granted an ESTA visa waiver, including those who have:

• Been arrested or have criminal records
• Certain serious communicable diseases
• Been refused admission or have been deported from the USA, or have previously overstayed their visa or authorization to be in the United States
• Traveled to or been present in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria on or after March 1, 2011 (with some exceptions for travel for diplomatic or military purposes).

Similarly, if you become ineligible for the ESTA because your circumstances have changed since the last application, you may be denied entry at the U.S. port of entry. You must review eligibility information prior to ESTA submission and prior to your entry to the U.S.

It is crucial that applicants ensure all the data on the form is correct. This is because an ESTA may be denied, or there may be a delay in processing, if there are any small errors in the information provided.

German citizens do not need a visa to travel to the US for visits of up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit purposes. ESTA authorization is granted to German nationals for 2 years or until the associated passport expires, whichever date is sooner.

An ESTA authorization is valid for entry into the United States by air, land or sea.

An approved travel authorization is not a visa. Germans planning to move to the US to work or study should contact a United States embassy or consulate in their country of residence. Also, if a German national wishes to stay in the US for longer than 90 days, they are required to obtain a US visa instead of the ESTA.

It is important to note that you won’t be able to change your immigration status once you are in the U.S. if you arrived via ESTA. If your plans change and you decide to stay in the U.S. longer or if you wish to work or study in the U.S., you will need to exit the country and obtain the required visa.

German travelers already in possession of a valid US visa are not required to apply for travel authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.