USA ESTA Visa Waiver Requirements for Spanish Citizens

The ESTA is an electronic system through which citizens of eligible countries, such as Spanish passport holders, can apply for permission to travel to the United States.

By keeping a record of the visa-exempt travelers passing in and out of the country, it allows the US to strengthen its security for both citizens and visitors.

The US ESTA was developed in the 2000s as an easier way for travelers from more than thirty countries (including Spain) to enter the United States of America.

Under the ESTA, Spanish nationals may travel to the United States for tourism, business, or transit purposes, and may stay in the country for up to 90 days. The ESTA authorization is valid for 2 years, or until the traveler’s Spanish passport expires (whichever comes first).

If a Spanish traveler wishes to stay in the United States for more than 90 days, they must obtain a US visa. Those who are planning to move to the US for other purposes (such as to work or study) need to apply for a different type of visa and should contact the US embassy to learn more about the process.

There are a handful of US ESTA requirements for Spanish citizens. They include the following items:

• Valid Spanish passport, which must be valid on the planned date of arrival in the United States
• Valid method of payment, such as a credit or debit card, to cover the ESTA fee
• Active email address, where the approved ESTA will be sent
• Contact details, including home address and phone number
• Emergency contact information (optional)

Please note that when entering the United States, Spanish travelers must present the passport that was used to complete the application. This is because the ESTA is electronically linked to that passport. If the aforementioned passport is lost, damaged, or stolen, the traveler must reapply for the ESTA and register the details of their new passport.

If you have dual citizenship, make sure that you use the same passport for an ESTA application and travel to the United States.

Applying for a US ESTA visa waiver for Spanish citizens is a process done entirely online and should only take travelers about 15 minutes to complete.

The application form starts off by asking travelers to fill in some essential details about themselves, including the following:

• First and last name
• Contact information (address, email, phone number, etc.)
• Date of birth
• Nationality

It also requires information about the applicant’s Spanish passport, including the following details:

• Passport number
• Issue date
• Expiry date

The ESTA application form also asks Spanish travelers questions related to security, including about their health and criminal convictions (if any) as well as compliance with all conditions of any previous admission under the Visa Waiver Program. The responses will be processed through a security database by the US Department of Homeland Security to determine whether the individual can enter the United States on an ESTA visa waiver.

Applicants must provide additional supplementary data, including contact details for the time they will be in the United States, or of their employer in their country of residence.

You are not required to have confirmed travel plans in the U.S. but you will need to indicate an address where you will be staying in the U.S. If you plan on traveling to multiple locations, you only need to enter the first address or the name of the hotel or location you plan on visiting.

When completing the application form, it is essential to make sure all the information provided is correct and matches the details of the applicant’s passport. This is because any incorrect data or small errors may result in delays in processing the ESTA, or even a denial of the visa waiver. If your ESTA is denied, you will need to apply for a visa at a U.S. Consulate in Spain if you wish to travel to the U.S.