ESTA - US point of contact information

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm travelling to the US next week. For the US point of contact information on my ESTA I used the hotel I was staying in.

However, since applying my hotel has changed. I've updated the "address while staying in the US" section of my ESTA to reflect my new hotel but I cannot change my US point of contact info.

Will this be a problem?

Answer

When filling out the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) for travel to the United States, the “US point of contact” section is intended to provide a reference if needed, but it is not strictly enforced for most travelers. Many people use a hotel as their point of contact, and minor changes like a different hotel are generally not considered a serious issue.

Key points to consider:

The ESTA system does not allow changes to the US point of contact once submitted. If your point of contact cannot be updated, you can leave it as originally entered; the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the port of entry typically understand that hotel reservations can change.
The most important section to update is the “address while staying in the US.” You have already done this, which is what CBP will mainly reference.
If you are concerned or want to be extra cautious, you can carry documentation of your current hotel reservation or booking confirmation. This can be shown to CBP if any questions arise at entry.

In practice, having the previous hotel listed as your US point of contact should not cause a problem, especially if your actual stay address is updated correctly. CBP is generally more concerned with your valid ESTA, passport, and travel purpose rather than the specific point of contact listed.

Summary: