Required documents for your trip

Travel to United States

Visa Waiver Program, allows citizens from certain countries to travel to United States, for tourism or business without visa, as long as stay period is up to 90 days or less. Applying to travel under the visa waiver program, you musVisa Waiver Program, allows citizens from certain countries to travel to United States, for tourism or business without visa, as long as stay period is up to 90 days or less. Applying to travel under the visa waiver program, you must complete the Electronic Travel Authorization designated by ESTA*.    
Apply for ESTA no later than 72 hours before departing for the United States. Real-time approvals will no longer be available and arriving at the airport without a previously approved ESTA will likely result in being denied boarding.

Who may travel under the visa waiver program?

• If you are citizen of one of the countries listed below:

   Portugal

   Greece

   Norway

   Andorra

   Hungary

   Republic of Malta

   Australia

   Iceland

   Spain

   Austria

   Ireland

   Singapore

   Belgium

   Italy

   Switzerland

   Chile

   Japan

   Slovenia

   Brunei

   Latvia

   United Kingdom

   Czech Republic

   Finland

   San Marino

   Denmark

   Lithuania

   Sweden

   Estonia

   Luxembourg

   Slovakia

   Liechtenstein

   Netherlands

   Taiwan

   France

   Monaco

   South Korea

   Germany

   New Zealand

   Croatia

   Poland
• If your stay in United States does not exceed more than 90 days.
• If you will travel temporarily on business, tourism or medical treatment.
• If you have obtained an ESTA travel authorization, before departure to the United States.
• If you hold a round trip ticket. If your ticket has as destiny countries such as Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or one of the Caribbean Islands, you may only travel without VISA if you are a resident in one of these countries.
• If you travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or one of the Caribbean Islands, it must be within the 90 days period.
• If your Passport complies all requirements of Visa Waiver Program. Any Portuguese valid passport issued since 2001, meets all requirements.
• If the airline or shipping company participates in the Visa Waiver Program.
• You cannot extend your stay period.
• You cannot accept paid or unpaid employment.
• You cannot change your visa status.

If you meet all requirements above described for the Visa Waiver Program, you don’t need to apply for a Visa. To avoid and minimize any kind of inconvenience, at the time of check-in, SATA Azores Airlines highly recommends that you always have with you the print of your ESTA, or keep recorded your ESTA authorization number, to be provided for any validation that may be needed.

Verify here our informational flyer about ESTA (Electronic system for travel authorization).

You are not eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program if:

• You aim to study
• You are planning remaining in the United States for more than 90 days.
• You have a criminal record.
• You have any infectious disease such as tuberculosis.
• If you have already been refused for a visa, have been deported or you have been refused to entry into the United States.

If you are not sure you meet all requirements to benefit from Visa Waiver Program or if you need more information, you may check at:

• Visa guide
• ESTA FAQ

* Note: Don’t need to have specific plans to travel to United States to apply for ESTA travel authorization. However, it is recommended that ESTA travel authorization is obtained, as soon as you plan a trip to the United States and an issued ticket . Children, accompanied or not and regardless of the age, also need ESTA travel authorization and to meet the conditions required by Visa Waiver Program.

Minors traveling to the United States:

Passengers under 18 years old are considered minors and need appropriate documentation to travel outside their residence country.   
Some documents listed below might be necessary, if not all, depending on the case. To avoid the risk of an inevitable denied boarding:

• Passport (in the same conditions described above, for the adult).
• When traveling unaccompanied or accompanied by a responsible person other than a parent/legal guardian, a certified statement attesting to the expressed authorization allowing the minor to travel abroad. If the minor travels with one of the parents, no permission is required, provided there is no opposition from the other parent.
• Additional identification, such as birth certificate or citizen/identity card.
• Other legal documents, such as Official court documents (eg., custody/divorce) or a death certificate (in case of death of a parent).

Please confirm all necessary documents at the embassy/consulate of the country you wish to travel, as well as the official national services, to know about other regulations that rules minors traveling abroad.

For more information please visit the links below:    
https://www.cbp.gov/travel    
https://pt.usembassy.gov/pt/visas-pt/

Commitment to the passenger:

In compliance with U.S. Department of transportation (USDOT) regulation, SATA Internacional – Azores Airlines provides below information about our plan details concerning:

• Contingency Plan for Lenghty Tarmac Delays;
• Customer Service Plan for USA.

More Information:

• Anytime that you consider providing us your feedback about our services, please send your correspondence to the following address:
  • SATA    
    Customer Care    
    Rua Dr. José Bruno Tavares Carreiro, n 6 |7º Piso    
    9500-119 Ponta Delgada   
    Azores - Portugal    
    Complaint Form  
    Fax: (+351) 296 672 098
• If you intend to contact the DOT directly:    
  Consumers can obtain a copy of this Part 382, the regulations regarding nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in air travel, in an accessible format from the Department of Transportation by any of the following means:
  • For calls made from within the United States, by telephone via the Toll-Free Hotline for Air Travelers with Disabilities at 1-800-778-4838 (voice) or 1-800-455-9880 (TTY),
  • By telephone to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division at 202-366-2220 (voice) or 202-366-0511 (TTY),
  • By mail to the Air Consumer Protection Division, C-75, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., West Building, Room W96-432, Washington, DC 20590, and
  • On the Aviation Consumer Protection Division's Web site here.

Required Information to all passengers travelling to USA:

To comply with the legal requirements, issued by TSA (Transportation Security Administration), all passengers traveling to the United States must provide, at the time of reservation, the following elements:

• Full name;
• Gender;
• Date of birth;
• Number and expiry date of passport;
• Emergency contact, if available. Name and telephone number of a person (next-of-kin) not on the flight or any entity that should be contacted in case of an emergency situation;
• Redress Number, if available.

Please note that this information is absolutely mandatory in order to be granted entry into the United States of America by U.S. authorities. Failure to provide the above information may result in denial of transport or denial of authority to enter the boarding area.    
Your information will be treated confidentially and not used for commercial purposes. TSA may share information you provide with law enforcement or intelligence agencies or others under its published system of records notice.    
For more on TSA privacy policies, or to review the system of records notice and the privacy impact assessment, please see the TSA Web site at www.tsa.gov.

You must enter on your booking your identification information (name, date of birth, etc.) exactly as it appears on your identification document or passport. Otherwise, it may not be validated by the new CAT (Credential Authentication Technology) system used by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) officers at US airports.    
You can find more information about this system here.

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Travel to Cape Verde

Passengers of foreign nationality who intend to enter and stay for a short duration in Cape Verde must:

1. Have a valid travel document, namely:
   • Passport, which shall be valid for at least six (6) months beyond the duration of the stay;
   • Laissez-passer issued by States or formally recognized International Institutions and Organizations;
   • Identity Card issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cape Verde to the staff of foreign missions or of International Institutions and Organizations;
   • Travel document for refugees;
   • Other travel documents set out by International law, or convention of which Cape Verde is part, or issued by the national authorities.    
      
2. Have a valid and appropriate visa for the intended stay (if required). Please click here to check the list of the countries whose nationals are exempt from this requirement.    
    

3. Do a pre-registration on the online electronic platform EASE (www.ease.gov.cv) preferably five (5) days before the departure, and make the TSA payment;    
    

   What is EASE?

   EASE (Efficient, Automatic, and Safe Entry of Travelers) is the online electronic platform that all incoming travelers visiting Cape Verde shall access while preparing for travel. More than a pre-departure online platform registration, EASE aims to facilitate and expedite the entry procedure on arrival by making the process swifter and less bureaucratic.

   How to register?

   Before departure, incoming travelers must register at EASE (www.ease.gov.cv). Preferably, registration shall be done five days before the travel date. The registration shall be done by the traveler or through a tour operator. The registration consists of submitting passport details and other relevant information such as arrival and departure dates, flight numbers, and place of accommodation.

   Is registration mandatory?

   Yes, except for travelers that are exempt from it. Who is exempt from registration?

   • Children under 2 years old;
   • Passengers who, on official missions, land on private planes at the service of Cape Verde or other countries on a reciprocity basis;
   • Passengers from planes forced to return to the airport due to technical or meteorological reasons or whenever force of circumstances is proven;
   • Transfer passengers;
   • Citizens holding a Cape Verdean passport, their children under 18 years old, and their spouses;
   • Nationals of Cape Verde, their children under 18 years old, and their spouses.

   What is the TSA, and what is its purpose?

   The Airport Security Fee (TSA) is due as compensation for the services provided to air transport passengers, and it is intended to cover the costs related to human and material resources allocated to ensure border security and safety, as well as for the prevention and repression of illegal acts, and the safety enhancement of the civil aviation system.

   What is the TSA amount, and how is it charged?

   Regarding International flights, the TSA, set at 3,400 CVE, is charged at the time of registration when using the online electronic platform EASE.

   Are all passengers required to pay the TSA for International flights?

   No. Who is exempt from paying the TSA?

   • Children under 2 years old;
   • Passengers who, on official missions, land in aircraft in the private service of Cape Verde or other countries on a reciprocity basis;
   • Passengers from planes forced to return to the airport due to technical or meteorological reasons or whenever force of circumstances is proven;
   • Transfer passengers;
   • Citizens holding a Cape Verdean passport, their children under 18 years old, and their spouses, upon presentation of valid ID card (Passport, Identity Card, or National Identification Card);
   • Nationals of Cape Verde, their children under 18 years old, and their spouses, upon presentation of a valid document (Passport, Birth Certificate, or Marriage Certificate);
   • Resident foreigners, upon presentation of the Residence Permit, Residence Visa, or another valid identification document.    
      

   
    

4. Have sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to the country of origin (if applicable), or, in other words, the foreign citizen’s ability to demonstrate the financial readiness to provide for his/her (and whenever appropriate, his/her family) existential costs for the duration of the stay, namely for the board, lodging, health care, and hygiene.    
    
   1. Foreign citizens holding a transit or tourism visa not exceeding thirty (30) days, as well as those that are visa exempt, must be able to attest the possession of 20,000 Cape-Verdean Escudos per person or equivalent plus 10,000 Cape-Verdean Escudos of daily money for each day spent in Cape Verde, or to be in a position to acquire such means lawfully.    
       
      1. Foreign citizens may be exempted from proving the possession of the above financial means if:
         • They can prove that their board and lodging are guaranteed for the whole duration of the stay, as well as their return travel ticket;
         • They can present a declaration of sponsorship, as provided by the national law;
         • They prove to be a partner or a shareholder (representing at least 15% of its capital stock) in a legally established private company based in Cape Verde, as long as there are dividends to be received in Cape Verde;
         • They prove to be a member of a governing body of any legally established company based in Cape Verde, as long as they demonstrate the pressing need to enter the national territory of Cape Verde to attend meetings of the governing bodies.    
            
      2. To attest to the possession of sufficient means of subsistence, foreign citizens may be asked to demonstrate it in the following ways:
         • Present a bank statement supporting that they own the minimal amount required by law;
         • Provide proof of a deposit or a bank transfer to an account that has been opened in his/her name in a legal bank institution based in Cape Verde;
         • Be a credit cardholder or to hold checks that are recognized and accepted by the legal bank institutions based in Cape Verde;
         • Hold rental or investment income in Cape Verde, equivalent to the minimal amount required by law;
         • Provide supporting documents accounting for a paid hotel reservation.    
            
   2. Foreign citizens holding a visa exceeding thirty (30) days or intending to extend, renew or change their initial permit shall contact the nearest embassy or consular office of Cape Verde before departure or contact the Foreigners and Borders Service once in Cape Verde.    
       
5. Be someone who is not expressly prohibited to enter Cape Verde.

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