Some ESTA questions - marriage involved!

[sixpence18]

I've looked for the answers on here but couldn't see questions like this, apologies if this has been answered before!

We need to renew our ESTAs before we go in April. mine and my other halfs esta expire on different dates to each other.

My current esta and passport are in my maiden name. When I renew my passport on Feb next year I'll do it in my married name. How do I renew my esta - can I do it now? Can I do it under the name I'll be travelling under, even though I've not legally changed it yet or renewed my passport yet?

How long before an esta expires can we renew?

[Guest]

You will have to fill out a new application and pay the fees. The only things you can change on an existing application is the email and the US address you will be staying at during your stay.

Hope that helps. If you need any more support, check out the FAQ on the official ESTA website

[wanye]

youll need your new passport before you can renew it...

new passport = new esta

[mick]

Quite simply your passport and ESTA have to match in terms of names.

You can't update an existing ESTA it always has to be a new one. However you can get a new ESTA anytime during its 2 year lifespan - you may get a message from CB&P saying you already have one. You can't get a new ESTA now because you don't know what your new p/p number will be.

Long time since we got married (50+ years) but I believe that you could still travel on your maiden name passport with your existing ESTA. Nobody at Immigration will know that you've recently married. Then renew p/p later. You can add up to 9 months on a p/p renewal but I guess you need a marriage licence to send off with your married name to do that.

Other option is to get a new ESTA after you get new passport. But a change of p/p in February means you need to sort a new ESTA out before April.

Mick

[Eeyore rocks]

When my daughter got married earlier this year, she got her passport in her married name, but the vicar had to fill out a form, but she couldn't do her esta until the morning of the wedding as her passport was 'live' from the wedding date.

[Posiesmum]

We’ve been married 39 years this year - and I still travel on a passport and ESTA in my maiden name. As long as they match, that’s all that matters.

[BigSkip]

My other half still travels under her name, rather than having changed hers to mine.
We get no problems with this

[sixpence18]

Thanks for everyone's replies! I've already booked flights etc under my married name so will have to change my passport now.

If my passport expires in February I will see if I can renew it earlier (I think you can) I'll do this as soon as I'm married and then sort the esta out.

Thanks for everyone's replies!

[sixpence18]

I get married one week tomorrow so should be plenty of time to sort it all out!

[naomi]

You can get 9 months added onto a renewed passport, so you can renew as soon as your married and not lose any time