ESTA (Visa Waiver Program): Spanish citizen in Spain → United States
Spanish citizens don't need a US visitor visa for short trips — Spain is in the Visa Waiver Program, so you apply online for ESTA and can visit for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less.
Visa-free travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program — apply online for ESTA instead of obtaining a visitor visa.
- Validity
- ESTA approval is typically granted for a two-year period or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner
- Entries
- Usable for repeated trips while valid — a new ESTA is required if you get a new passport or your details change
- Max stay per visit
- Stays of 90 days or less per visit for tourism or business
When to start
Start 3–30 days before your travel date.
Spain is on the US Visa Waiver Program country list, so Spanish citizens can visit the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa — provided they hold an e-passport and get ESTA approval before travelling.
Apply on the official ESTA portal (esta.cbp.dhs.gov) — the application fee is $40.27 USD. You can apply at any time before travel, but CBP recommends applying as soon as you start planning the trip, before booking tickets.
Make sure your ESTA shows as approved before boarding — travellers without an ESTA approval can be denied boarding, delayed, or refused admission at the port of entry. If ESTA is denied, the only route is a regular visitor (B) visa at a US embassy or consulate.
ESTA authorises you to board, but it does not guarantee entry: a US Customs and Border Protection officer determines admissibility when you arrive, and grants a stay of 90 days or less.
What you'll need
- Valid e-passport — A Spanish e-passport (with an embedded electronic chip), valid for at least 6 months after your planned departure from the United States unless exempted by country-specific agreements. ✓ verified
- Valid ESTA approval — A valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval, obtained online before boarding a US-bound air or sea carrier. ✓ verified
- Traveller's selfie photo — A selfie photo of the traveller, uploaded as part of the online ESTA application. ✓ verified
- Contact and emergency-contact details — A valid email address, home address and phone number, plus an emergency point of contact's phone and email. ✓ verified
- National ID or Personal ID number — The traveller's National ID or Personal ID number, if applicable (Spain's DNI). ✓ verified·
Where you'll apply
No visa or visa centre involved: you apply for ESTA online from home on the official esta.cbp.dhs.gov portal and travel visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program.
Fees
| ESTA application fee | USD 40.27 |
Gotchas to watch
- ESTA approval is not a guarantee of entry — a CBP officer determines admissibility when you arrive.
- You must use an e-passport (with an embedded chip); emergency or temporary passports must also be e-passports.
- Travel to or presence in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021, or in DPRK, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011 (or dual nationality with certain of those countries), makes you ineligible for the VWP — you'd need a visitor (B) visa instead.
- If your ESTA is denied, the only way to travel is to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a US Embassy or Consulate.
- Apply only on the official esta.cbp.dhs.gov portal — third-party sites charge extra and are not endorsed by the US government.
