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ESTA country code

My ESTA has been approved but I wanted to clarify a small detail.

As my travel plans have not been finalised and I am still deciding on which hotel to reserve, for the section regarding US point of contact, I typed 'UNKNOWN'.

When it asked for 'country code', I selected the US country code (+1) and for 'Phone number', I just typed a series of zeros.

For the 'country code', I could not find 'unknown' from the dropdown list and nor could I type any zeros for this section. Therefore, I just selected the US country code (+1).

Would this be ok or have I done something wrong?

Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks

For the ESTA application, the section asking for a U.S. point of contact is not always strictly verified, but it is intended to provide a contact in case of emergency or for travel purposes. If you do not have a hotel booked yet or a specific U.S. contact, entering 'UNKNOWN' is generally acceptable. Many travelers do this when their plans are not finalized.

Regarding the country code and phone number:

  • Selecting the U.S. country code (+1) when you do not have a contact is standard practice, since there is no option for 'unknown'.
  • Entering zeros for the phone number is also common when you don’t have an actual number, and it usually does not cause issues as long as the ESTA is approved.
  • The main purpose of this section is informational; U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers will typically not require verification of this contact unless there is a specific need.

In short, your approach is fine and should not invalidate your ESTA approval. Once you finalize your hotel or have a specific U.S. contact, you can update the information, but it is not mandatory to do so before travel.

Additional tip:

  • If you want to be thorough, you can update your ESTA with the actual hotel or contact information before your trip, but it is not a requirement for entry.

Overall, selecting +1 and using zeros as a placeholder is a common workaround for travelers without a U.S. point of contact at the time of application.

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