How long for ESTA approval?

[Acourtof]

Starting to panic!! We’re flying to the US tomorrow afternoon and I only just remembered that we all need ESTAs 🤦🏼‍♀️

Submitted applications online. Website says up to 72 hours to come through. We’ve got 24 hours…

DH and I have travelled to the US several times and never had an issue. Our young DC have never been to the US, so I’m worried that it will need extra time for a first application.

Any comfort please on your own recent ESTA timelines, especially for DC? Thank you 🙏

Wide awake in the middle of the night here and feeling amazingly grateful for the wonderful support I got from you guys yesterday ❤️ Thank you.

Here’s a crown 👑 for the 2 or 3 sanctimonious cherubs who never forget a thing. Well done darlings. You’re extra special amazing 😂

I am so glad this is sorted, had a similar sinking stomach feeling when, at the tail end of covid, having concentrated on getting all the covid admin done, was asked to see proof of esta. Had done it months ago, couldn't find anything to do with it and search wouldn't work. Luckily it did eventually and it was approved but I still feel stressed when I think of that moment!!

I've never been so stressed reading a MN post ! So glad I only found it this morning haha! I wooped when I read approved!

Enjoy your holiday OP! I know that dread in your stomach feeling, its horrid! You deserve a bloody big cocktail 🍹

So happy everything has worked out for you - have an amazing time 🎢

extra special amazing sanctimonious cherub darlings!
Well done OP, so glad you got there ok. Enjoy yourselves!

For your children's sake I’m glad you got there.

This isn’t something that should have been able to be forgotten because it should have been done before you booked.

This will thankfully serve as a lesson to others.

@DaisyAndDonaldDuck and still the cherubs want to wear their crowns 👑

The OP booked her flights using Avios points. Am sure to get the dates they wanted they had to pounce on the flights as soon as they saw them and they booked months ago. You then get insurance in place asap in case there is a need to cancel or some other event occurs but the ESTA - which we saw takes a few hours to come through goes lower down the priority list.

Then regular life takes over : work, kids, family, perhaps a few other events like moving house, illness or death of a parent, remortgaging or other money concerns, friends having problems and you want to be there for them and hopefully a bit of leisure time and fun too.

Suddenly you realise the day before travel that you haven't got an ESTA yet. That's cutting it fine and stressful but it came through in time. Ask any check in desk operator and I bet they see invalid passports and missing ESTAs on an almost daily basis.

Normal organised intelligent people forget things occasionally when busy and dealing with life. What I find abnormal are people coming on here to say they would never forget anything as if they are some superior beings when actually you are probably just not as busy as the people who do forget things. (as evidenced by the fact that you and a couple of others have the time to come on here and repeatedly berate the OP and anyone else who has been forgetful and ended up in a tight spot)

To err is human

There but for the grace of god go i

@Choux Again, no point booking the flights and getting the insurance if you don’t have a valid ESTA.

An ESTA is the most important thing because you aren’t getting into the country without it. It’s certainly not a low priority.

@Choux

I think you’re effectively talking to the hand. In some jobs the degree of complacency on show would get you fired, but this is social means so…….

I’m so happy for you, OP. The stress reading this thread was immense (and I was reading when there were 17 pages already!) so I cannot imagine how you felt. I’m so glad it worked out. I’m at WDW later this year and I dread to think how I would feel if I was in your shoes. Have an amazing time!

‘’Social media…” gasp….a mistake….

I book flights as soon as they open so around 11 months normally in advance. I do get my ESTA in plenty of time but only because I have seen that if it doesn't get approved it can take months to get one in person.

However I can totally understand why some people don't know about it or think I'll do that later and forget.

And I do get mine after booking flights and hotels because I know I can cancel them usually up to about 2-3 days before I fly. Therefore there is no reason I would need to get an ETSA prior to booking anything.

Enjoy your well deserved holiday, wear those sandals, also on that sun cream and enjoy.

Have a fabulous holiday lovely 💕

this thread has given me
steess

i always thought it was instant

you live and learn

I felt every emotion with you on your comments OP and am so glad you got a happy ending!

DH and I had both ‘overlooked’ the visa situation last year and when checking in were asked where our ESTA’s were. Cue confused faces and then mass panic.

We applied and then sat pretty much in silence as we were both so anxious. Boarding closed and they were not back.

DH was trying to organise alternative flights but they were coming in at around £1800, whilst I sobbed and sobbed, when by some miracle happen and they came back.

Virgin were amazing and whisked is through first class and we were the last ones on the plane. I don’t think I relaxed until we were half way across the Atlantic!

I hope you have the best holiday!

A good few years ago mine was instant, but my boyfriends might have been a few days or so.

What a stressful thread!
So glad you and especially your kids got to go!

So happy for you!!! What a relief! Have a wonderful time in Disney, it’s the best!! X

I always leave my ESTA till late because I tend to travel every year around the same time and if I get it too early it runs out before I've had the use of it! You generally get them back super quickly so I'd never apply until a week before I fly. In fact did it this year for family (mine was still in date).

Glad so many virtuous people on here like to think they'd never screw up anything.

Just caught up on this thread, I’ve never read something that gave me so much anxiety😵I’m so pleased you managed to get them through in time.
We go on October and I will be triple checking in the run up to check they're still all valid. Have an amazing time.

Thanks for the crown OP. No, I have never forgotten to do something like this, especially something as important as an ESTA etc. I don't think I am amazing, but I am glad that I have never experienced the avoidable stress that you did. Enjoy your trip.

@Scalottia you seem to have forgotten something a lot more important though, empathy and compassion.

Life sometimes gets in the way.
And with something like a Disney holiday there is a lot of stuff and dates to remember, so much to organise before you go.
All it takes it to drop the ball once, easily done.

Ideally you'd joy everything down, have calendar reminders, so things straight away - but life isn't always that straight forward and people get distracted every day.

Why do people forgot their purse? Why do people get locked out of their house/car? Why do people forget a doctors appointment? Why do some children get sent to school in uniform on non uniform day(and it not be a choice)? The list could go on forever.

All every day stuff but also things people forget regularly. Unfortunately some have bigger consequences than others.

I can't stand disorganised people, they do my head in.

Occasional human error is a thing. Someone can be the most well-organised person you've ever met, but they will still, once in a while, forget something important. It happens. Forgetting one important thing, once, does not make the OP 'a disorganised person'. It makes her human.

Unless you are planning on going on holiday with the OP, which seems unlikely, her situation affects you in precisely zero ways. So maybe just try to relax a bit, because if you spend your life having your head done in by situations happening to complete strangers with no impact on you, you'll end up exhausted.