Travel to and from USA
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If you’re an Irish or European citizen travelling to the USA, you’ll require an electronic passport, which remains valid until after completion of your scheduled trip. Eligible citizens or nationals from all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must also obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) prior to travelling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme.
Passport Requirements
Customers travelling to the U.S. on the visa waiver program must have an electronic passport with expiry date valid up until your return date.
You can readily identify an e-Passport because it has the unique international symbol displayed here on the cover.
An e-Passport is an enhanced secure passport with an embedded electronic chip. The chip can be scanned to match the identity of the traveller to the passport. This rule applies even to those who possess a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Visa Requirements
ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation)
All non-U.S. residents must ensure they’ve proper documentation which meets the requirements of the U.S. Government for travel into the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection have advised, when travelling to the USA, you must apply for an ESTA no later than 72 hours before your departure date. Real-time approvals will no longer be available and arriving at the airport without a previously approved ESTA will likely result in being denied boarding.
Eligible citizens or nationals from all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) prior to travelling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme. There’s a charge per person to avail of this service. This charge is collected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and isn’t an Aer Lingus fee. You can apply for authorisation using the ESTA website.
Does your trip to the USA include a connecting flight in Canada?
If you will be transiting through a Canadian airport on your journey to the USA, you will also need to apply for an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). Please visit the Canada Border Services Agency website for more information.
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API (Advance Passenger Information)
API (Advance Passenger Information) is required for passengers travelling to the United States. This information is compulsory and is required for the purposes of ensuring aviation safety and security.
API can be added online via the ‘Manage Booking’ facility.
The information required for each passenger travelling to the U.S. is:
- First name (as on passport)
- Family name (as on passport)
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Passport number
- Passport country
- Expiry date of passport
- Country of residence
- Alien registration or permanent resident card number if applicable
- Address while in the U.S. (if you’re not a U.S. passport holder or a landed U.S. resident).
The United States Government has initiated legislation requiring all airlines to provide the U.S. customs and immigration authorities with access to data held on an airline's reservation system. This relates to passengers travelling to or from the U.S. Consequently, if your journey involves a flight to or from the U.S., any information we hold about you and your travel arrangements may be disclosed to the U.S. customs and immigration authorities.
All passengers travelling to the U.S. must also provide a U.S. address where they’ll be staying. If you don’t provide this address, you may be refused entry to the U.S. by immigration.
Since January 5th 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been implementing the 'U.S. Visit Programme'. This programme applies to all visitors. It doesn’t apply to U.S. citizens or legal residents.
U.S. customs and border protection officers will use an inkless fingerprint scanner to automatically read the fingerprints of these visitors. The customs and border protection officer will also take a digital photograph. This biographic and fingerprint data will be used to verify the identity of the visitor. Please visit the Department of Homeland Security website for additional information.
If you’re a U.S. citizen travelling to Ireland, you’ll require a valid passport, which remains valid until after completion of your scheduled trip. However, you won’t require a visa for either tourist or business stays provided their duration is less than three months.
You can visit the Embassy of Ireland website for the most current visa information.
You can also contact the embassy at:
2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington,
DC 20008,
Telephone: (202) 462-3939
Alternatively, you can go to the nearest Irish consulate in Boston, Chicago, New York or San Francisco.
For citizens of all other countries travelling from the U.S., requirements vary and passengers are advised to check with the nearest Irish consulate for the correct information.
If you’re a U.S. citizen, a valid passport is required for travel to all E.U. member states. A visa, however, is not required for either tourist or business stays.
You’ll also need to comply with all government travel requirements. Please view specific documentation requirements on the U.S. Department of State's website. U.S. citizens don’t require transit visas to connect through Ireland into Europe.
For citizens of all other countries travelling from the U.S., requirements vary. It’s your own personal responsibility to ensure you’re in compliance with all relevant requirements, and you’re advised to check with the Irish consulate for the correct information.