ESTA status: how to check it and what to do after a refusal
Independent site, not a government service: you apply only on the official CBP site, esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
If someone in your group was refused, enter the numbers: the calculator shows what CBP kept. The steps to check a status follow below.
Paid to CBP in all
USD 91.86
≈ €82.07
| Approved | 2 × USD 40.62 |
| Refused | 1 × USD 10.62 |
After a refusal the route is a visa application at a US embassy or consulate; that fee is not shown here.
You check an ESTA on the official site esta.cbp.dhs.gov, under the option to check an existing application, with either the application number or the passport number, date of birth and passport issue and expiry dates. The site shows one of three results: authorisation approved, which means you may travel and lasts two years or until the passport expires; authorisation pending, which means CBP has not yet decided and you should check again before booking anything you cannot cancel; and travel not authorized, which means you cannot use the Visa Waiver Program for this trip. A refused application is not free: USD 10.62 of the USD 40.62 fee is kept to cover the system. Federal rules state that a refusal is not a finding that you are ineligible for a visa and is not open to judicial review, so the way forward is a visa application at a US embassy or consulate. Applying again for an ESTA with the same answers usually brings the same result.
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How to check a status
Open esta.cbp.dhs.gov and choose to check an existing application. For one person, the passport number, date of birth and the passport issue and expiry dates are enough; for a group, the group number. The answer is the same as the one CBP holds: there is no other place where an ESTA can be checked, and a third-party site can only look it up on your behalf.
The three results
| Status on the official site | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Authorization approved | You may board and apply for admission | Note the expiry date |
| Authorization pending | No decision yet | Check again before paying for travel |
| Travel not authorized | No Visa Waiver travel for now | Apply for a visa |
What a refusal costs
The Federal Register notice keeps USD 10.62 per refused application, the part that covers the cost of the system; the other USD 30 is only charged on approval. The calculator at the top adds up a group with refusals.
After a refusal
8 CFR 217.5(f)(2) says a refusal is not a determination that you are ineligible for a visa and does not prevent you from applying for one at a consulate. That is the next step: a B-1 or B-2 visa application, with its own fee and an interview. Do not pay a site that promises to overturn the decision; nobody can.
Is the approved ESTA still valid?
An approved ESTA ends after two years or with the passport. Enter your dates below to see whether it covers your next arrival.
Is my authorisation still valid?
Valid until
October 23, 2027
Covers your arrival date
| Term of the authorisation | 2 years |
| Limited by the passport | no |
A new passport cancels the link: the authorisation is tied to the passport you applied with.
The statutory bar in 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), for travellers who have been in Iraq, Syria or a designated country since March 1, 2011, applies even with a valid ESTA if the trip took place later; such a traveller needs a visa for the next visit.