ESTA Process for Citizens of Switzerland Traveling to the USA

1. Can citizens of Switzerland travel to the USA with ESTA?

Yes, all citizens of Switzerland can travel to the USA with ESTA.

If you are a citizen of Switzerland and you plan on traveling to the USA, you don’t have to obtain a Visa and instead you have to apply for an ESTA.

You should keep in mind that this will only be possible if you plan on staying in the USA for up to 90 days and no more. Also, your goal of the visit should be transit, business or travel. In all other cases you will have to obtain a Visa and this form of travel authorisation known as ESTA shall not be used.

This option of Visa-free travel is only available for citizens of countries of the Visa Waiver Program.

2. Is Switzerland one of the VWP countries?

Yes, Switzerland is included in the Visa Waiver Program and this is why all citizens of Switzerland can enjoy Visa-free travel.

The VWP was created to provide significantly more travel freedom to citizens of some specific countries, that the USA agreed on including in the list.

Since then citizens of the VWP countries can apply for an ESTA when traveling to the USA.

3. Can I travel to the USA with two passports?

If you hold two passport and you wish to travel to the USA, you have to think about the VWP. If one of your passports approves that you are a citizen of one of the VWP countries, you can apply for an ESTA.

However, when applying for your ESTA a lot more attention will be paid to your background and criminal history.

4. What can get my ESTA application denied?

There are many reasons for your application being denied. This includes problems with your documentation and passport expiration.

There is also a chance that your ESTA is denied because of your criminal history.

If your ESTA is denied you should make sure what is the reason for denial and if possible, apply again, for example, after renewing your passport.

5. Is ESTA a 100% guarantee for entry into the USA?

No, your ESTA does not give you a 100% guarantee that you will be granted entry into the USA. This is because when boarding the airplane, border control still has to check your documentation. If there are worries that you might cause threats to the safety of others or the USA, border control might make the decision to not grant you entry into the USA.

This is why it is important to make sure that your background and criminal history will not cause any problems with entering the USA.

You have to keep in mind that there is always the opportunity that entry will not be granted and so your travel plans will have to be canceled.

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6. How is my credit card information used when applying for ESTA?

When applying for an ESTA, you have to make an online payment for the travel authorisation. All credit card information is only used to approve the payment.

Once the payment is done all of your credit card information is deleted from the system and nothing is stored or used otherwise.

You can be sure that your credit card information is safe and that there is no risk when making the online payment for ESTA application.

7. How long does it take to apply for and ESTA?

When applying for ESTA the process has to be done online. This is why ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation.

This is exactly what makes ESTA unique since you don’t have to meet in person to discuss your background, criminal history and travel plans.

When applying for ESTA online it should not take longer than 30 minutes to complete the application. To do that, you should have all of your most important documents on hand and be ready to answer questions about yourself, your background, your work and travel plans.