United States trip checklist
For a Australia passport.
Australian citizens need an approved electronic travel authorisation to enter United States for stays of up to 90 days. An electronic travel authorisation has to be approved before boarding for United States. Passport validity: an e-Passport is required to use the Visa Waiver Programme. It carries an embedded electronic chip and a unique international symbol on the cover. Bring an e-Passport with an embedded electronic chip. Conditions: an approved ESTA determines eligibility to travel, not the right to enter. Customs and Border Protection officers decide admissibility on arrival. The programme covers business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days. This covers tourist and short business visits only, not work, study or residence, and a border officer makes the final decision on entry in every case. This was last checked on 8 September 2026.
Adding a date turns every lead time below into a real deadline and lets you save the entry deadline to a calendar. It stays in the address bar, so the link you share carries it. Nothing is sent to Yoogo.
Documents
Get your travel authorisation approved
An electronic travel authorisation has to be approved before you board.
14 days before you travel · Official page
Check your passport is valid far enough ahead
An e-Passport is required to use the Visa Waiver Programme. It carries an embedded electronic chip and a unique international symbol on the cover.
90 days before you travel · Official page
Have proof of onward travel and where you are staying
Border officers ask for both, and an airline can refuse boarding without them. A booking confirmation on your phone is usually enough.
Health and safety
Read your government's travel advice
Before you travel check that: your destination can provide the healthcare you may need you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant. Emergency medical number Dial 911 and ask for an ambulance. Contact your insurance or medical assistance company quickly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment. Vaccine recommendations and health risks At least 8 weeks before your trip: check the latest vaccine recommendations for the US (or the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico
30 days before you travel · Official page
Check whether any vaccinations are needed
Vaccination requirements are set by United States and by your own health service, and some need weeks to take effect. Ask a travel clinic rather than guessing.
42 days before you travel
Save the local emergency numbers
In United States: ambulance 911, police 911, fire 911. Save them before you land, not after.
Money
Sort out USD before you go
United States uses USD. Airport exchange desks carry the widest spread, so check the rate and arrange money before you travel.
7 days before you travel
Tell your bank you are travelling
A card frozen for suspicious activity on day one is a common and entirely avoidable problem. Check foreign transaction fees at the same time.
7 days before you travel
Staying connected
Arrange data before you land
Roaming on your home tariff is usually the most expensive way to use data in United States. A local eSIM activates before you travel and keeps your home number working.
3 days before you travel
On arrival
Know your 90-day limit
This entry route allows up to 90 days. Overstaying carries penalties that can affect future entry, and the officer at the border decides the length actually granted.
Check the requirement again the week you fly
Entry rules change without notice. This corridor was last checked on 2026-09-08, and the corridor page carries the current answer.
7 days before you travel
Yoogo is not a government authority and this is not legal advice. The entry requirement was last checked on 8 September 2026. The full United States answer for Australia passports carries the current version, and how we check explains where it comes from.