Travelling to the US? Check if you need an ESTA

My friend was headed to the US on a business trip via Vancouver.  Having been planning my own US road trip I mentioned the word ESTA to him....  His response, Esther?  Who?

Well here's the thing... if you are travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) YOU REQUIRE AN ESTA!

Luckily most applications get a response immediately so you don't have to panic.

Check here to see if your country requires you to have one:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#countries

Here is the form for your ESTA:
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

To complete the online form, have all your family's passports (children require ESTA), wallet and travel details e.g. Flight Number, Address on Arrival

An ESTA will cost approx USD $14 and you can pay by Credit Card.

For further questions, check out this useful site:

http://www.essentialtravel.co.uk/magazine/q-and-a/esta.asp