ESTA stands for “Electronic System for Travel Authorization” and is an electronic travel authorization for entering the United States. People from countries in the Visa Waiver Program, including Germany, need an ESTA if they want to travel to the USA for up to 90 days for vacation or business. The application is completed online and should be submitted a few days before the trip. After approval, the ESTA is usually valid for two years or until the passport expires. Without a valid ESTA approval, entry into the USA is usually not possible.

The ESTA should be applied for as early as possible, ideally several weeks before departure. Officially, it is recommended to submit the application at least 72 hours before the flight. In many cases, approval is granted within a few minutes or hours, but processing can sometimes take longer or require additional checks. Therefore, early application is particularly important for models with fixed job appointments.

The ESTA fee is currently about 40 US dollars per person. Payment is made online by credit card or other electronic payment methods. The approval is then usually valid for two years and can be used for multiple trips to the United States.

For models who regularly travel “On Stay”, ESTA is particularly worthwhile because it does not have to be reapplied for each individual trip. Agencies often make sure that the ESTA is already valid so that short-term jobs, photo shoots or castings can take place without any delays.