ESTA: Validity and multiple trips
A US ESTA is valid for 2 years and allows multiple trips of up to 90 days. Find out about the essential multi-entry conditions of use and validity rules.
The ESTA remains valid for 2 years from the date of approval.
Can be used for several stays in the United States.
Many travelers wonder whether an ESTA is valid for just one trip or if it can be reused. In fact, this electronic authorization is multi-entry: as long as it remains valid, you can use the same ESTA for multiple trips to the United States without submitting a new application. Each individual stay is limited to 90 consecutive days. Another common question is: how long between two trips with the same ESTA? There is no legal minimum, but very frequent or lengthy visits may raise suspicion from U.S. border authorities.
📌 Key information on the validity, expiry and reuse of ESTA
- ✅ ESTA validity: 2 years or until passport expiry.
- ✈️ Multiple trips: unlimited entries during the period of validity.
- ⏱️ Maximum stay: 90 consecutive days per trip.
- 🔁 Frequency: no limit, but be careful not to travel too frequently.
- 🛂 Passport: new application required in case of renewal.
- 📅 Expiration during stay: valid if the ESTA is active upon entry.
Understanding the validity of an ESTA is essential before planning a trip to the United States. Unlike a traditional visa, it is an electronic travel authorization with a fixed validity period and strict conditions. ESTA validity is not linked to the number of trips you make, but to the total duration granted at the time of approval.
Two key points must be distinguished:
As long as the ESTA is still valid, it can be reused for multiple trips to the USA, without the need to submit a new application each time. This flexibility makes it a convenient document for frequent travelers, whether for tourism, business visits, or transits.
In short, ESTA validity is determined not by the number of entries, but by compliance with the rules attached to it: the period of use, the authorized purpose of travel, and the maximum stay allowed. Respecting these conditions ensures smooth and repeated entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
An ESTA is not limited to a single stay: it functions as a multi-entry authorization. In practical terms, as long as your authorization remains valid, you can use it to make several successive trips to the United States without having to reapply for each trip.
The number of entries is unlimited during the period of validity. There is no annual quota imposed by the regulations. In practice, this means that you can travel as many times as necessary, whether for tourism, a short business trip or even a simple stopover.
⚠️ Please note, however, that each entry is subject to US immigration control. If you make multiple trips in quick succession or stay for long periods, an officer may question you about your real intentions and refuse admission if there is any doubt.
The basic rule is clear: each stay with ESTA is limited to 90 consecutive days.
This limit does not change, whether you enter once or several times during the year. The important thing to understand is that this is a duration per stay, not an overall quota. Even if your authorization is still valid for several months, you cannot stay for more than three months in a row without applying for a traditional visa.
A typical example: a traveller who stays in the United States for 85 days must leave the country before the 90th day, otherwise they will be considered to have overstayed their stay. Leaving for a few hours to cross the border and attempting to return immediately does not cancel out this potential overstay, as US immigration interprets these trips back and forth as a circumvention strategy. The role of immigration officers is therefore to enforce the maximum authorized stay rule, without the possibility of extension via simple temporary exits.
This is no longer a matter of written regulations, but rather an assessment left to US immigration. No text imposes a fixed processing time between two stays: in theory, it is possible to leave the next day. But in practice, the border control officer assesses whether your travel pattern is consistent with tourist activity or a short business trip.
For example, several stays of nearly 90 days each, separated only by a few days abroad, are often seen as an attempt to establish hidden residence. Conversely, alternating short stays (two or three weeks) spaced several months apart does not generally raise any issues. It is therefore less a question of official processing time than one of credibility and logic in your travel patterns.
In short, to travel with peace of mind with ESTA, it is advisable to maintain a reasonable pace and be able to justify your regular returns to your country of residence (work, housing, family). This demonstrates that you are using ESTA as intended: an authorization for temporary visits, not for prolonged stays in the United States.
🎯 In summary
Yes, ESTA is valid for multiple trips. It is multi-entry and has no limit on the number of trips as long as you comply with the conditions set by the United States. For regular travellers, it is a practical and economical solution that greatly simplifies requirements. By complying with the 90-day rule per stay and keeping your travel plans consistent, you can reuse the same ESTA for all your stays in the United States, whether for holidays, short business trips or simple stopovers.
Your ESTA may expire during your stay in the United States. Don't panic: this won't prevent you from travelling with peace of mind, as long as your authorization was valid on the day of your arrival. The US authorities only check the validity of your ESTA when you enter the country.
📌 Things to remember if your ESTA expires during your trip:
- ✅ You can stay in the United States for up to 90 days, even if your authorization expires after that.
- ✈️ Example: arrival on 1 June with an ESTA expiring on 5 June → you can still stay for up to three months.
- ⚠️ Please note: if you leave the country (Canada, Mexico or elsewhere) and wish to return, your ESTA must still be valid on both your outward and return journeys.
- 🛂 Practical advice: if in doubt or if you are planning multiple trips, it is best to reapply before departure to avoid being rejected.
In summary, the expiry of your ESTA during your stay is not a problem if you comply with the 90-day rule. The only critical point concerns readmission: an expired authorization will not allow you to re-enter the United States.
The ESTA validity is not limited to traditional tourist stays. Certain special situations may affect your ability to reuse your authorization, whether for transit, a stopover or a change in your personal information.
Whether you are simply connecting flights or stopping over for a few hours in the United States, the rule is the same: a valid ESTA is required. In the eyes of the US authorities, any presence on US soil, even if limited to an airport, is equivalent to an official entry into the country.
This means that your ESTA must be active at the time of arrival, even if you do not leave the international zone or only stay for two hours between flights. However, if your ESTA expires during the rest of your journey to another destination, this will have no consequences, as only the validity at the time of initial entry is checked.
An ESTA requested for a tourist stay can therefore be reused for transit or a stopover, and vice versa. The only condition is that the authorization must still be valid when you set foot on American soil, even briefly.
The ESTA validity remains unchanged if you modify non-essential data.
You can reuse the same authorization even if your destination address in the United States, your airline, or your contact email address changes. These factors can be updated online and do not affect the two-year validity period. As long as your identity details and passport number remain unchanged, the ESTA remains valid and usable.
The only case that terminates the validity of an ESTA before its expiry date is a change of passport. As the authorization is electronically linked to the document used at the time of application, it automatically becomes invalid if you renew your passport. In this case, a new application is required. For more detailed information, see our comprehensive guide:
👉 Renewing your ESTA after a passport change
✅ In summary, an ESTA remains valid for transit, stopovers or after updating secondary information. Only a passport change requires a new application, even if the authorization has not yet reached its expiry date.
Find out if your question has been answered in the list below
If your ESTA is still valid at the time of initial entry, you can make a stopover without any problems, even if the authorization expires afterwards. However, this rule does not cover subsequent readmission. If your itinerary includes a return via the United States after your ESTA has expired, you must reapply before departure to avoid being rejected boarding.
Yes. Even though ESTA authorization allows stays of up to 90 days, the immigration officer decides on the actual processing time of your admission. Depending on your profile, the frequency of your travels or your supporting documents (employment, accommodation, return ticket), they may reduce this processing time. The ESTA validity therefore does not automatically guarantee 90 days, but only the possibility of requesting this length of stay when crossing the border.
No, it is not possible to extend a stay beyond 90 days with an ESTA. This authorization is designed solely for short stays, and the rule is strictly enforced. Even if your ESTA remains valid, you must leave the United States before the end of the 90 days. To stay longer, you must apply for an appropriate visa from the US authorities.