Reply To: ESTA required for medical emergencies in USA?

[John]

“Choosing” to be medevaced to the US is not the same as an emergency that occurs mid-air.

The real Swiss Tony wrote:

I thought that when ESTAs were first launched, you needed one for nonstop flights from Mexico to Europe. A very quick google search showed nothing of the sort so either I’m making it up or it’s been reversed…

The US requires the airline to submit API for all flights that approach US airspace regardless of the origin and destination. The passengers do not need ESTAs.

It’s likely that the US runs the API data through the system that grants ESTAs or a similar one. If they don’t like the passengers they can either tell the airline to deny boarding or tell the airline to avoid going near the US (which may be impossible for some routes i.e. Mexico, Canada)

Basically if the plane has any chance of needing to land in the US at all, the US wants to know who is on it, so in the case of an emergency they sort of already have approved everyone on board, subject to final approval depending on the circumstances.

When you “choose” to fly to the US on a private aircraft you will need an ESTA in order to be approved to take off. Furthermore, the medevac company needs to be a Signatory Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Carrier otherwise it can only fly US/Canadian citizens and people with a proper US visa.