Visa/Entry

Required documents

• Passport must be valid for the duration of stay. The national driver's license is not a valid border document.entry by plane

 

Entry without visa

Persons with Austrian citizenship may enter the U.S. without a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. However, an application for a travel authorization must be submitted in the "Electronic System for Travel Authorization" (ESTA).ESTASubmission of a travel authorization must be made via the ESTA website of the U.S. authority at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov at least 72 hours before departure. The fee is $21 USD and is payable by credit card or PayPal. The ESTA travel authorization entitles the holder to stay up to 90 days and is valid for 2 years.

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Entry with visa

Those who plan to stay longer than 3 months in the USA need a B2 tourist visa: It must be applied for in advance including a personal interview at the US Embassy. Applying for a B2 visa is quite time-consuming, but it allows a stay of 180 days per entry and multiple entries within 10 years.

It should be noted that a short-term departure to Canada and Mexico does not interrupt the visa.

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Entry/exit Canada or Mexico by land

For entry by land via Canada and Mexico, proof of a valid ESTA travel authorization is also required as of October 1, 2022.

 

Motor Vehicle Documents

Driver's License

The national driver's license in conjunction with an English translation is in principle accepted for entry as a tourist for up to 90 days, however the International Driver's License (in conjunction with the national one) is strongly recommended.

 

Vehicle Importation

Permanent residents outside the U.S. may drive their motor vehicle tax-free in the U.S. for up to one year with their national license plate. Upon arrival, U.S. Customs issues a temporary import permit, which is valid for a tourist stay only and for one year only. The vehicle may not be sold or otherwise left in the USA. You may not leave the U.S. without the vehicle. A Carnet de Passages is not required.

An "EPA Nonresident exemption letter" must be requested in advance by mail (imports@epa.gov). The application can be made informally to the mail address.

As confirmation that the vehicle has been exported after 12 months, an informal letter must again be sent to imports@epa.gov. This can be done by means of an official document confirming the export (e.g. TIP from Guatemala). Only then will the vehicle be deleted from the EPA system. Export to Canada and Mexico is not sufficient.

Who enters by land and transports the motorcycle by sea or air freight should insist at the border that a TIP is made. Otherwise you can get into trouble when exporting at the port/airport.

International registration certificate (in conjunction with the national) recommended.

If you are not driving your own vehicle, a permit for use is necessary.

 

Car insurance

Motorcycleexpress

• Conclusion: Online. 1 to max. 6 months (new policey possible)

• Area of validity: Canada and USA

• Coverage is relatively high.

 

Segurogringo

• Conclusion: Online. 1 to max. 365 days

• Validity range: Canada (must be selected separately) and USA

• Coverage is extremely low

 

Fernet

• Conclusion: Online for min. 6 months

• Area of validity: USA only (Canada is excluded)

• Coverage is medium

 

Caution is advised with all other insurances from the USA, as they require a US address for conclusion. The communication is online but, the insurance will probably be invalid in case of an insurance claim, because you have given untrue information when applying.

 

Camping

• Wild camping is generally not a problem, especially in sparsely populated areas. In some areas, however, a permit is required for wild camping.

• There are many campsites with different levels of equipment.

• However, caution is advised in all areas due to wildlife such as bears and moose.

• For Americans, their property is very important, so extra care should be taken not to camp on private property. There are good apps or maps on the internet where ownership is shown. On BML land camping is usually possible without any problems.

 

Road network

• The road and gas station network in Canada is very well developed. There are also some 24h gas stations with attached mini-supermarket.

• Since especially in sparsely populated areas gas stations are far apart and not always open, you should take every opportunity to fill up. Carrying extra fuel is only recommended for motorcycles with very low range and selected stretches (we had to carry extra fuel with an approximate range of 300 kilometers only on the Dalton Highway.

 

Sim cards

Cell phone network is well developed in the urban centers. Outside often only very sporadic or not available at all. Some providers operate only locally.

European cell phones do not always work with all providers (see also blog post).

If you travel a lot in rural areas, it is advisable to take a satellite messenger/phone with you.

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Security

Security level varies depending on the area. Basically, we felt safe everywhere, although not as safe as in Canada.

Big cities are of course a different issue.

Caution is advised when dealing with wildlife.

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WLan

WLan is available throughout the country. However, depending on the region, often extremely slow. Upload of videos and photos may not be possible for days.

Besides hotels, there is acceptable internet in most fast food chains. However, the stay is limited to 30 minutes in some stores.

 

Spare parts

Spare parts and workshops can be found in all major cities or are shipped everywhere in a relatively short time. However, the cost of spare parts is more than twice as expensive.

 

Cost of living

Cost of living in the USA is significantly higher than in Austria. This is especially true for food and daily necessities.

 

Miscellaneous

Payment with credit cards is possible everywhere.