How long does an ESTA last?

Two years from the date of approval, or until your passport expires — whichever comes first.

That second half catches people out. If your passport expires in eight months, your ESTA expires in eight months too, even though you paid the same $40.27 as someone who got the full two years.

Validity is not the same as length of stay

These are two separate clocks, and confusing them is the most common misunderstanding about the whole system.

	What it means
Validity (2 years)	How long the authorization can be used to board a flight
Length of stay (90 days)	How long you can remain in the US on any single visit

So a two-year ESTA does not let you stay for two years. It lets you make unlimited trips over two years, each of up to 90 days, subject to the officer’s decision at the border each time.

Multiple entries

Within the validity period you can enter as often as you like. There is no limit on the number of trips and no need to reapply between them.

That said, a pattern of back-to-back long stays with short trips out attracts attention. The Visa Waiver Program is for visits, and officers do look at cumulative time — see the 90-day rule.

A new passport voids it

An ESTA is tied to the passport it was issued against, not to you. Renew or replace your passport and the authorization stops working, even if it had eighteen months left.

This applies whether the old passport expired, was lost, was stolen, or was simply replaced early. You apply again and pay $40.27 again.

A change of name or citizenship also requires a new application — as does a change to any of the answers you gave on the eligibility questions.

What happens if it expires mid-trip

Nothing, for that trip. Once you have been admitted, the officer grants you a period of stay recorded on your I-94, and the ESTA expiring does not shorten it.

You would need a valid ESTA again only to re-enter after leaving. If you are planning a trip out to Canada or Mexico and back, check that yours has not lapsed in the meantime.

Checking your expiry date

The official CBP site shows the expiry when you look up your application, using your application number, passport number and date of birth. If you have lost the application number, there is a retrieval option using your passport details.

Set a reminder about a month before it expires. There is no grace period and no warning from CBP.

Renewing

There is no renewal as such — you submit a new application, and it is treated exactly like a first one. See ESTA renewal for when to do it and what changes.