In February this year, the US immigration service announced that submitting an ID photo may become a new requirement for ESTA applications. So far, travellers only have to submit a scan of their passport after filling in the application form. This new requirement would allow the US immigration service to check whether the applicant is the actual holder of the submitted passport.
Record year for tourism in the USA
Although the world economy is still recovering from the covid pandemic, the US tourism industry achieved a record-breaking turnover. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the tourism industry contributed more to the US economy than ever before. The sector created 600,000 new jobs in 2023 and tourist spending reached an all-time high. Most spending came from American tourists visiting other parts of the country. The number of international visitors was still lower than in 2019.
The tourism industry is expected to grow further. The WTTC expects the sector to generate up to 9 percent of the US GDP in 2024. The number of international arrivals is expected to remain smaller than in 2023, however.
The ESTA makes travelling easier
While the number of international tourists visiting the United States is still lower than a couple of years back, it is still very easy for Europeans to fulfil the entry requirements. Most travellers from the UK, Switzerland, Norway or a country within the EU, such as Ireland, are eligible for an ESTA. The ESTA is part of the US Visa Waiver Program, allowing travellers of certain nationalities to enter the USA without a visa.
You can apply for an ESTA within a few minutes online. You only need to fill in a digital form, where you have to enter a number of personal details, as well as some details about the upcoming trip. Finally, every applicant needs to upload a scan of their passport. Most applications are processed within a matter of days.
ID photo to become a requirement
At the end of February this year, the US immigration service announced that applicants for an ESTA will probably have to submit an ID photo or a selfie in the future. This would allow the immigration service to make sure that the applicant is the actual holder of the travel document that is used for the application. This additional requirement would thus allow the US authorities to more thoroughly check who enters the country.
It has not yet been announced which requirements the photo has to fulfil. It is to be expected that the requirements will be similar to those for ID photos for visa applications for other countries. For example, travellers to New Zealand have to submit an ID photo for their visa application. The photo has to be a sharp photo in colour, clearly showing the entire face of the applicant. The applicant has to look straight into the camera with a neutral expression.
This is not the first time the US immigration service adapts the ESTA requirements. On 29 November 2022, they added the requirement to submit a passport scan for the ESTA application. Applicants did not need to submit any additional documents for their ESTA applications before this.
ESTA application through the official app
You may also apply for the ESTA through the official app of the US government. If you apply through the app, you already have to upload a selfie live. This photo has to be taken while submitting the application. This is one of the reasons why most travellers prefer to apply for the ESTA without using the app. If you are looking to apply for an ESTA, you can use the simple application form on this website.
Apply for an ESTA now