To travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) using ESTA, you must have an electronic passport (e-Passport) with an embedded electronic chip.
The easiest way to identify an e-Passport is to check for the international e-Passport symbol on the front cover of your passport.
An e-Passport contains an electronic chip that stores the passport holder's personal and biometric information. It also has a machine-readable zone (MRZ) at the bottom of the passport's personal information page.
If your passport does not have the e-Passport symbol on its cover or you are unsure whether it contains an electronic chip, contact your passport-issuing authority for confirmation.
Passports without an electronic chip cannot be used for travel under ESTA, so make sure to check your passport type and expiration date before applying.