ESTA, US clarifies given name requirement

[soraia]

Not sure if this will help appease anyone who is worried about not having their middle names on existing ESTA or not as it's slightly different but I've always had issues filling out my ESTA as my surname is too long. In fact this applies to ESTA, API, when booking airfare etc.

I'm originally from Portugal where they only have first name and surname (no "middle name" field) and therefore all middle and family names are put together in the "surname" field. I believe this is also the case in many latin american countries as well as Spain/France.

So on all my official documents my name reads as (fake example)
First Name: Soraia
Surname: Minnie Mouse Smith Jones Peterson

The name that I go by is Soraia Peterson (the other names are my middle names, even though they are written under "Surname") and although booking flights, ESTA, API etc always says book name shown exactly as on passport, my full name never fits as there are too many characters (including when filling out the ESTA).

So I always book everything as just Soraia Peterson and I've never had a problem travelling anywhere (luckily, as I always worry about it!) In fact - I've never even had anyone question it, ask about my name, nothing.

Again, this is just my example and don't want to speak for anyone else bu thought I'd share my example of travelling on an ESTA using a name that doesn't exactly match the passport.

[Tweety1]

So had a response about my ESTA query
I asked 2 questions and asked each one specifically. The first was about the 4 new ones I did on Sat with no middle names
The second was about my ESTA done in Feb 18 and whether I need to do a new one. I don’t think they have really answered my second question but their response is below:

Thank you for contacting the Traveler Communications Center. The name on the ESTA application must be entered exactly as it appears on the passport in the machine readable zone. This is the area that consists of two lines of characters at the bottom of the passport biographical page. If a payment has already been submitted, you will then need to complete a new and correct application with the accompanying fee.
If the only error was made in the “point of contact” section, then no further action is required.

Regards,
Traveler Communications Center

I’m just doing all new ones for everyone!

[Lily8]

Originally Posted by Tweety1

So had a response about my ESTA query
I asked 2 questions and asked each one specifically. The first was about the 4 new ones I did on Sat with no middle names
The second was about my ESTA done in Feb 18 and whether I need to do a new one. I don’t think they have really answered my second question but their response is below:

Thank you for contacting the Traveler Communications Center. The name on the ESTA application must be entered exactly as it appears on the passport in the machine readable zone. This is the area that consists of two lines of characters at the bottom of the passport biographical page. If a payment has already been submitted, you will then need to complete a new and correct application with the accompanying fee.
If the only error was made in the “point of contact” section, then no further action is required.

Regards,
Traveler Communications Center

I’m just doing all new ones for everyone!

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Thanks for posting their response, though as expected they haven't quite answered the question.

[Tweety1]

Originally Posted by Lily8

Thanks for posting their response, though as expected they haven't quite answered the question.

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I know

[gjdjud]

Originally Posted by Tweety1

So had a response about my ESTA query
I asked 2 questions and asked each one specifically. The first was about the 4 new ones I did on Sat with no middle names
The second was about my ESTA done in Feb 18 and whether I need to do a new one. I don’t think they have really answered my second question but their response is below:

Thank you for contacting the Traveler Communications Center. The name on the ESTA application must be entered exactly as it appears on the passport in the machine readable zone. This is the area that consists of two lines of characters at the bottom of the passport biographical page. If a payment has already been submitted, you will then need to complete a new and correct application with the accompanying fee.
If the only error was made in the “point of contact” section, then no further action is required.

Regards,
Traveler Communications Center

I’m just doing all new ones for everyone!

See more...

That response to the second question is amazingly vague. Really frustrating

Anyone who has a valid ESTA pre October without middle names thinking of redoing them just in case? I did ours in May for this May and I'm unsure what to do. Doesnt seem to be any hard facts about an october deadline.

[Burgmeister]

Originally Posted by gjdjud

That response to the second question is amazingly vague. Really frustrating

Anyone who has a valid ESTA pre October without middle names thinking of redoing them just in case? I did ours in May for this May and I'm unsure what to do. Doesnt seem to be any hard facts about an october deadline.

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I'm not renewing mine UNLESS I hear reports from anywhere of people having issues at immigration with theirs. THe thing is, if I wasn't on the Dibb how am I supposed to know this has changed? As far as I am concerned, my current ESTA has 12 months left to run.

[Tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by Burgmeister

I'm not renewing mine UNLESS I hear reports from anywhere of people having issues at immigration with theirs. THe thing is, if I wasn't on the Dibb how am I supposed to know this has changed? As far as I am concerned, my current ESTA has 12 months left to run.

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Totally agree. If I’d done my daughters pre October I would not have completed a other one. As I only did it last week I felt I should.

[LOU LOU DISNEY]

Originally Posted by Burgmeister

I'm not renewing mine UNLESS I hear reports from anywhere of people having issues at immigration with theirs. THe thing is, if I wasn't on the Dibb how am I supposed to know this has changed? As far as I am concerned, my current ESTA has 12 months left to run.

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Exactly this!
I’m not doing mine either as when I did it last year it was valid for 2 years. I will re-do my sons as I only did his last week.

[Peko]

Originally Posted by Burgmeister

I'm not renewing mine UNLESS I hear reports from anywhere of people having issues at immigration with theirs. THe thing is, if I wasn't on the Dibb how am I supposed to know this has changed? As far as I am concerned, my current ESTA has 12 months left to run.

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I entered the US in December on an ESTA which was done in Feb 2017. There were no problems (I do have Global Entry, but not sure it makes a difference).

I'm more interested in hearing whether anyone has done an ESTA since October without middle names and travelled to the US. I've seen a post on Tripadvisor which said they had no problem entering recently, but it wasn't clear exactly when the ESTA was done. Apart from this, I've seen no mention of this middle name issue on any other forum apart from the Dibb, which makes me wonder why.

[GrumpyDopey&Me]

My mum called the embassy and was told they do need to be on there.