You no longer need to apply for a visa to travel to the USA. At least, this is the case for nationals of the Visa Waiver Program. The Visa Waiver Program covers 38 countries. For nationals of France, one of the signatory countries, seeking to apply for an ESTA in French, there are private French-language sites, as well as the translated version of the official US government site.
The ESTA form in French for easy registration
The ESTA is a travel form, which makes it a mandatory document for travel to the United States. When you apply, you are formally required to give precise answers. To enable all French people to understand each question and the procedure to follow, it is possible to apply for ESTA on a private French site or on the official site, translated into French. So don’t panic, you won’t have to fill in a form in English, which can sometimes be frightening when you’re not used to it. All that’s left for foreign nationals to do is concentrate and check every piece of information provided to the American authorities.
Conditions for completing the application form
For the application to be submitted, the traveler must meet a number of mandatory criteria. It should be noted that an ESTA USA is only issued to travelers wishing to visit the USA for tourism, business or transit. The duration of the stay in the USA must not exceed 90 days. The customs officer will also ask you to present an electronic or biometric passport. Entering the USA is not the same as entering Europe, so don’t expect to be able to travel with an identity card. The online application is available to all travelers meeting these criteria.
How do I pay for my ESTA France application?
Do you order your ESTA document from a specialized website or the government website? Requesting authorization to travel to the USA is never free. Expect to pay a certain amount to be able to submit your application. The price varies according to the package you choose, but the method of payment remains the same. All you need is your credit card to submit your request. The document is valid for two years from the time you receive approval.
When should I fill out my ESTA form in French?
To obtain ESTA authorization, you must apply at least 72 hours before departure. It’s usual to receive an almost immediate response to your application; however, we strongly advise you to submit your application as soon as you are aware of your planned date of travel to the USA.
Let us explain why it’s better to do it in advance. When filling out the ESTA form online, applicants sometimes make a typing error on the U.S. government website. This is a human error, of course, but it is automatically detected by the electronic systems of the American authorities. This error can result in the rejection of the application. If this happens to you, it’s not inevitable, but you must wait 10 days before trying again. As you can see, it’s essential to plan your stay in the USA well in advance, to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
If your application is refused because you don’t meet the required conditions, you need to apply for a US visa at the US embassy. It can take several months to receive a USA visa, so it’s important to prepare your trip to the USA properly.
