Documentation For Travelling To The USA?

I'm in the states at the moment. Have flown across twice this last year and all I need to do is fill in the ESTA (which lasts for 2 years), fill in the white form on the plane and join the queue. I always have in my calendar on my phone details of the hotels I'm staying in just in case. This last visit it was as quick to go through immigration checks as passport control in the U.K.
 
When I went in November the customs were taking finger prints for every passenger & only 2 checking desks open.
 
If you are taking your own bike for the TAT part of your trip you need approval from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Do it online, no cost IIRC. At the end of your trip after the bike has been flown home you need close down the temporary import by emailing them copies of the flight documentation or evidence you and bike have crossed a border to Mexico or Canada.
 
We flew in to the US last night. As long as you've got a passport with a chip in (there's a picture of a camera, or something similar on the front) and an ESTA (takes about 10 minutes to fill out online), it's quick and easy.:thumb

Fill out the white customs declaration form on the plane. After you land, most airports have automated customs here, so you enter all your details, then it prints a receipt. You then hand that to a customs officer.

We got from the plane, through customs & security, and out the door in under 10 minutes yesterday.

I guess it helped that you weren't last off the plane !!! :aidan
 
It's nowhere as bad as it used to be and the immigration guys can be quite pleasant as they were told to back off some years ago. Saying that, they have a deserved reputation of being pedantic and miserable but even with my plethora of US stamps in my passport, they are OK. The art is to be patient and just answer the questions. When they ask you what you are doing in the US, say you are on a motorbike tour and generally they are interested and are pleasant.

ESTA is the visa waiver online and it costs $14.00. DO NOT go to a site where they want to charge you more! It last 2 years and takes about 2 mins to get. If you have that latest type of passport, you can get through fairly quickly.

Reference the bike, you need and EPA which is simple and of course a reputable bike shipper who will do all the hard work for you:augie
 
Just change your name to Nigel Farage and you will be in double quick and get a free room in the Trump hotel of your choice, don't forget to tell them you're meeting your mate Donald

:beerjug:

Here is a new photo for you passport for the full effect :D

farage-1.jpg



I bet that will boil some urine here :pullface
 
We flew in to the US last night. As long as you've got a passport with a chip in (there's a picture of a camera, or something similar on the front) and an ESTA (takes about 10 minutes to fill out online), it's quick and easy.:thumb

Fill out the white customs declaration form on the plane. After you land, most airports have automated customs here, so you enter all your details, then it prints a receipt. You then hand that to a customs officer.

We got from the plane, through customs & security, and out the door in under 10 minutes yesterday.

Exactly the same when we flew into Houston before Christmas, something has changed because we were through so quickly, and unbelievably the customs guy was was fairly friendly.
 
Just to be clear: having filled out the esta (and having been accepted) does one have to take any paper copy of this or is it checked online by the border control people?
 
No paperwork needed, but I usually print my ESTA receipt out in case....
 
We flew in to the US last night. As long as you've got a passport with a chip in (there's a picture of a camera, or something similar on the front) and an ESTA (takes about 10 minutes to fill out online), it's quick and easy.:thumb

Fill out the white customs declaration form on the plane. After you land, most airports have automated customs here, so you enter all your details, then it prints a receipt. You then hand that to a customs officer.

We got from the plane, through customs & security, and out the door in under 10 minutes yesterday.

Bet you're not in SFO - took me 2.5 hours back in October!
 
Can't have been Philly, then......

I read some horror stories about Philadelphia, but we got through customs in minutes in 2014. It was the 4th July though, so the airport was pretty quiet :p
 
Return flight ticket
Hotel booking info if they need to call
Passport Biometric chip
Driving license
Credit cards
Value of anything watch cash gold ingots etc over 10,000 usd has to be declared, that was last time I was there.
and do not try to be smart with them, they have no humor, and will turn you around on next flight.
 
Just to be clear: having filled out the esta (and having been accepted) does one have to take any paper copy of this or is it checked online by the border control people?

It’s all on-line. Your airline will check it (electronically against a database) before you fly. So any errors/omissions are picked up in the UK before you travel (no need to go to Dublin as someone else suggested :blast ). No need to keep a paper copy.
 
You don't need it.
It makes no sense does it? The AA says you do need one and then explains that its purpose is to translate your licence into english. In Florida it’s required by law! I know the septics have a very different version of our language but surely their cops can read english :blast
 


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