What documents do I need for the USA?

So, you’ve finally decided to head to the United States! Great choice! Now, though, it’s worth taking a look at the documents you actually need to enter the USA. In this article, we’ll give you a couple of tips on how to go about getting the documents you need to enter the USA.  
 

What documents do you need for the USA?

Passport and ESTA: essential documents

Let’s start with the basics: your passport. Yes, because to travel to the United States, as with any country outside Europe or the Schengen Area, you need a passport.

The second essential document for entering the United States is the ESTA, a form that must be completed no later than 72 hours before departure. It allows you to enter the U.S. without a visa for tourism and stay for up to 90 consecutive days. ESTA is mandatory! Fortunately, it can be obtained without too much hassle: you can apply online, and it is usually issued within a few days and sent by email.

Things are different if you need to travel to the United States for reasons other than tourism, such as work or study. In that case, you will need to apply for a visa instead, which has different processing times compared with ESTA. 
 

How much does ESTA cost?

Fortunately, ESTA is not very expensive. It costs $21, a fee set directly by the U.S. government. There are also intermediary agencies that can obtain the ESTA on your behalf, although they may charge a higher price for their service. Fair enough—they handle the paperwork, and you get the peace of mind of not having to think about it.
 

Travel insurance

No, travel insurance is not mandatory for entering the USA. It’s not required, but it is definitely highly recommended. It’s always a good idea to purchase a policy to protect yourself against unexpected events, especially medical ones. Considering that the cost of insurance is not very high (we’re talking about around €50/€80), the cost of a medical visit or emergency room assistance certainly is. So it’s always worth having it. 
At Sto Gran Tour, for example, we include it in every trip, so everyone can travel with peace of mind.
 

Credit card

A credit card comes to mind because, even though it’s not technically a document, it becomes one in practice when you decide to rent a car. In fact, it is often the payment method that offers the greatest guarantees, and in some cases it is even the only accepted form of payment.

Well, in this article we’ve put together a list of useful documents for traveling to the United States and explained how to get them. Once you have your documents, why not set off on a trip to the USA with us? Here, for example, you can find our California trip. Or here, our USA and National Parks trip.