Travel guide

ESTA for Israelis 2026: How to Apply, What It Costs and Who Needs a Visa Instead

Noa RegevNovember 8, 202610 min read

Israelis with a biometric passport at full validity who fly to the United States for tourism, a family visit or a business meeting of up to 90 days don't need a visa, but they must have an approved ESTA before they board. You apply only on the official site of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), esta.cbp.dhs.gov. It has cost $40.62 per person since 16 October 2026. This guide covers who qualifies with an Israeli passport, what to prepare, how to fill in the form, what happens if you're refused, what's about to change in the form, and what to check before you fly.

The ESTA rules come from the FAQ on the official ESTA site run by CBP, the US Embassy in Jerusalem's ESTA page and the US State Department's Visa Waiver Program page. SimSIM, an eSIM provider for mobile data, published this guide. The data prices at the end come from its United States catalog. All sources were checked on 8 November 2026.

Key takeaways

• Who needs an ESTA: every Israeli entering the US for up to 90 days for tourism, business or transit, including babies and children. If you hold a valid B1/B2 visa, you don't need an ESTA.
• Your passport: a biometric passport with a chip, at its full original validity: 10 years for adults and 5 years for anyone under 18. An adult with a 5-year passport can't use an ESTA.
• The cost: $40.62 on the official site: $10.62 for processing plus $30 only if the application is approved. A site that charges more is a third-party site.
• Validity: two years from approval or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, with multiple entries. A new passport or a name change requires a new application.
• Who needs a visa instead: anyone who has been to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen or North Korea since 1 March 2011, or to Cuba since 12 January 2021. The same applies to anyone who also holds citizenship of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria.
• Mobile data: with SimSIM for the United States, 3GB for 30 days costs ₪14.9. A SimSIM eSIM almost always beats your carrier's roaming package, with two exceptions: you need regular calls, outgoing and incoming, on your Israeli number, or your phone doesn't support eSIM.

ESTA is a travel authorization, not a visa

ESTA is an online authorization that decides whether you can board a flight to the US under the Visa Waiver Program. Israel joined the program. According to the US Embassy, since 19 October 2023 Israelis with an eligible passport can fly with an ESTA instead of booking a visa interview.

The main differences from a tourist visa (B1/B2), based on the embassy's comparison table:

Keep two things in mind. ESTA doesn't allow you to study or work in the US; for that you need the right visa. An approved ESTA also doesn't guarantee entry: according to CBP, the border officer at the airport makes the final call on whether to admit you.

Your Israeli passport must be biometric and at full validity

The passport is one of the reasons Israelis get refused. According to the embassy, some Israeli passport holders were refused because their passport didn't meet the requirements.

What to check in your passport before you fill in the form:

• Biometric passport: blue, with a chip symbol on the cover. An older machine-readable passport without a chip doesn't qualify.
• Full original validity: 10 years for adults, 5 years for children under 18. An adult who received a 5-year passport needs to get a 10-year passport, or apply for a visa with the current one.
• The passport you fly with: the ESTA is tied to your passport number. If you renew your passport after approval, you need to submit a new application and pay again, even if the previous authorization is still valid.

For dual citizens: according to CBP, you fly, board and enter the US with the same passport you used for your ESTA application. A US citizen doesn't apply for an ESTA at all and flies on their US passport.

How much ESTA costs and how to spot a third-party site

According to CBP, an ESTA application has cost $40.62 since 16 October 2026. The payment splits into two parts:

• $10.62 processing fee: CBP charges it to every applicant, even if the application is denied.
• $30 authorization fee: CBP charges it only if the application is approved.

For a family of four, if every application is approved, the authorization costs $162.48. Everyone, including a baby, needs a separate application. You can submit a group application for up to 50 people and pay for it in one payment within 7 days.

Google shows many sites that look official and charge more. According to the embassy, there is only one official site, esta.cbp.dhs.gov. If you paid more than $40.62 (or more than $40.27 before 16 October 2026), you applied through a third-party site. CBP can't refund money paid to a site like that. It recommends that anyone who applied through one check their application number on the official site, to confirm the application exists in the system.

Note that the embassy's FAQ page (updated 11 April 2025) still lists an old price, $4 plus $17. Before 16 October 2026 the price on the official site was $40.27. The price that counts is the one on the CBP site.

How to apply for an ESTA, step by step

According to CBP, filling in the form takes 23 minutes on average. You apply on the official site or in the official ESTA Mobile app.

1. Go to esta.cbp.dhs.gov and choose an individual application (Individual) or a group application (Group) for your family.
2. Upload your passport's data page. The site photographs or reads the lines at the bottom of the page and fills in your name, date of birth and passport number automatically. According to CBP, this step is mandatory.
3. Fill in your personal details: an email address for verification, your current or previous employer, your address in the US and an emergency contact. If you don't know the full address yet, CBP says you can enter the name of the hotel or the place you'll visit.
4. Answer the nine eligibility questions. Answer accurately and honestly, including the question about visits to the listed countries.
5. Check everything before you submit the application. After you submit, you can't correct your passport number, country of issue, citizenship or date of birth. A mistake in any of them means a new application and a new payment.
6. Pay and save your application number. You pay by credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover) or with PayPal. If you don't pay for an application within 7 days, you can no longer access it. In that case you submit a new one.

Write your name in Latin letters, exactly as it appears on your passport's data page. The automatic upload in step 2 saves you from typos.

How long approval takes and when to apply

According to the embassy, in most cases you get an answer within 24 to 72 hours. Sometimes it arrives within minutes. CBP recommends applying as soon as you book your flight. According to CBP, you don't need a fixed travel plan to apply.

There are three possible answers:

• Authorization Approved: approved. The authorization's expiry date appears.
• Authorization Pending: your application is under review. According to CBP, this doesn't signal a negative finding. Check the site again.
• Travel Not Authorized: not approved. In that case you need to apply for a visa at the embassy.

You don't need to print the authorization. According to CBP, the airline receives your status directly, but keep a copy with your application number.

Who isn't eligible for ESTA and needs a visa

According to the US State Department, these people can't fly with an ESTA and need a visa:

• Anyone who has been to North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since 1 March 2011, except for narrow exceptions for diplomatic or military duty on behalf of a program country.
• Anyone who has been to Cuba since 12 January 2021, with the same exceptions.
• Anyone who also holds citizenship of Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria, even if they fly on an Israeli passport.

According to CBP, transit through one of these countries also counts as "presence" there. According to the embassy, a previous visa or ESTA refusal, even on another country's passport, can lead to an ESTA refusal. If you're not sure you qualify, you can apply for a visa straight away.

If you already booked a visa interview and got an ESTA in the meantime, the embassy recommends not canceling the interview. The visa application fee isn't refundable. You can hold both an ESTA and a visa.

What's about to change in the ESTA form

On 10 December 2025, CBP published a notice in the Federal Register about its plan to change the form. The main changes:

• Mandatory social media: your social media account details from the last 5 years.
• Selfie: a face photo in addition to the passport photo, even when a family member or travel agent fills in the form for you.

As of 8 November 2026, the social media question on the official ESTA site is still marked optional. You can submit without answering it. If you're applying soon, check the official site for what's required on the day you apply.

After landing: border control and mobile data

A valid ESTA lets you board the plane. At the US airport you go through border control, where officers photograph you and take your fingerprints. The final decision on entry is the officer's.

If you've already visited the US with an ESTA, you can use CBP's free Mobile Passport Control app. According to CBP, it's open to Visa Waiver Program travelers returning to the US with an approved ESTA. You fill in your details on your phone before border control. That's why your mobile data should work as soon as you step off the plane: install the eSIM before the flight and activate it after landing (when to activate your eSIM).

SimSIM prices for the United States, according to the catalog on 8 November 2026:

For a week in a city, 3GB for ₪14.9 is enough for maps, WhatsApp and transit apps. It's only ₪2 more than 2GB. For a trip of two weeks or longer, or with no Wi-Fi at your hotel, take 10GB for ₪36.9. According to the catalog, the United States eSIM connects to the Verizon and AT&T networks on 5G. You'll find coverage details in the US eSIM guide.

If your data runs out, it simply stops, with no automatic charge. You add a plan to the same eSIM in the app. The plan adds data and extends validity according to the plan you bought (how to top up mid-trip). You can't top up an eSIM that has already expired.

eSIM or your carrier's roaming package: almost always eSIM

A SimSIM eSIM is almost always the better choice for a US trip. The full comparison with the Israeli carriers is in SimSIM vs. carrier roaming abroad.

There are two situations where your carrier's roaming package is the better option:

1. You need regular calls, outgoing and incoming, on your Israeli number. The SimSIM eSIM is data only, with no phone number and no SMS. WhatsApp calls work over data (does WhatsApp work abroad with an eSIM).
2. Your phone doesn't support eSIM or is locked to your carrier (how to check if your phone supports eSIM).

If you need to receive verification codes from your bank, you can keep your Israeli line active for SMS and turn off Data Roaming on it (bank SMS codes abroad). Installation takes a few minutes. There are written guides for iPhone and Android, a step-by-step video and an AI chat for questions. You'll find the plans on the United States eSIM page.

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