The current ESTA form asks for your phone number, not a five-year history of every number you have used. A five-year phone history is part of a December 2025 CBP proposal that has not been implemented. This guide explains what the form asks today, what U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has proposed, why it says it wants the data, and what the published privacy rules say about how ESTA information is stored and shared.
On 10 December 2025 CBP published a notice in the Federal Register proposing new “high value data fields”, including phone numbers used in the last five years. The comment period closed on 9 February 2026, and the U.S. Embassy in France has confirmed that the proposed changes are not in effect.
Understanding the Proposed ESTA Phone History Requirement
Today the ESTA application asks for your contact details, including a telephone number. The DHS system of records notice for ESTA lists “Telephone number (home, mobile, work, other)” among the information collected. There is no requirement to list numbers you used in previous years.
The December 2025 proposal would add, “when feasible”:
- Phone numbers used in the last five years
- Email addresses used in the last ten years
- Family members’ names, dates and places of birth, residences and phone numbers used in the last five years
- Mandatory social media identifiers from the last five years
- IP addresses and metadata from submitted photos
None of these fields applies unless and until CBP announces implementation in the Federal Register. Until then, give your current, working contact details and keep them consistent with the rest of your application.
Why CBP Says It Wants Phone Number Data
The December 2025 notice presents the extra data fields as part of strengthening the vetting of Visa Waiver Program travellers. More generally, information on an ESTA application is used to decide whether a traveller is eligible to travel under the programme and whether they pose a law enforcement or security risk.
The published purposes of ESTA data include:
- Eligibility: Deciding whether an applicant qualifies for travel under the Visa Waiver Program
- Identity: Confirming that the applicant is who they say they are
- Security screening: Checking applications against law enforcement and security information
- Contact: Allowing CBP to reach the applicant about the application
These purposes are set out in the ESTA system of records notice. CBP has not published further detail on how a five-year phone history would be used if the proposal were adopted.
The proposal would apply to all ESTA applicants if implemented; it has not been rolled out to any group of travellers.
Which Phone Numbers You Need on the Current Form
On the form as it stands, you provide a phone number where you can be reached, along with your email address and home address. Keep these accurate, as CBP may use them to contact you about your application.
Practical tips for the contact section:
Use a Number You Can Answer: Give a mobile or landline number you actually use, including the country code.
Keep It Consistent: If you have applied for an ESTA or a visa before, use details consistent with those applications where they are still current.
Work Numbers: The employment section may ask for your employer’s contact details. Provide your employer’s main number if requested.
Emergency Contact: The form also asks for an emergency point of contact. Make sure that person knows you have listed them.
If You Live Abroad: Give the number you use in your country of residence.
Numbers Linked to Online Accounts: These are not requested on the current form.
You do not need to list on the current form:
- Phone numbers you used in previous years
- Prepaid or travel SIM numbers you no longer use
- Numbers of friends or family (other than your emergency contact)
- Fax numbers
Answer every question truthfully. Giving false information on an ESTA application can lead to refusal.
Practical Steps if the Requirement Is Introduced
If CBP implements the proposal, it will announce it in the Federal Register first. Should that happen, a little preparation would make the form easier to complete. Sensible sources for reconstructing past numbers include:
Step 1: Check Your Devices and Backups
Old phones and cloud backups often show numbers you have used.
Step 2: Check Your Mobile Provider Accounts
Online accounts and past bills from your mobile providers usually list the numbers attached to your name.
Step 3: Review Billing and Financial Records
Bank and card statements can remind you of phone contracts you have had.
Step 4: Go Through Your Address History
Thinking through where you have lived can help you recall landlines and local SIM cards.
Step 5: Check Old Work Documents
Old email signatures and business cards can remind you of work numbers.
Step 6: Check Your Online Accounts
Security settings in email and other accounts often show the numbers used for verification.
A simple list with each number, the country and the approximate dates would cover what the proposal describes. For now, none of this is needed to apply.
Privacy and Data Retention
Many travellers want to know what happens to the information they give CBP. The published rules are set out in the ESTA system of records notice.
The main points are:
Data Retention: An ESTA application generally becomes inactive two years after approval. Information is retained for one year after the authorisation expires and then archived for 12 years (generally 3 years active and 12 years archived). Records linked to law enforcement activity remain accessible for the life of that activity.
Data Sharing: ESTA data may be shared under published “routine uses”, including with federal, state, local, tribal, international or foreign law enforcement agencies, with agencies involved in intelligence and counter-terrorism, and for public health purposes.
Use of Public Information: The notice allows DHS to use publicly available information, including from social media, when assessing eligibility.
Questions: Concerns about how DHS handles personal data can be raised with the DHS Privacy Office.
International Privacy Law Implications
The December 2025 proposal received public comments during the consultation, including from people concerned about the amount of personal data it would collect. For travellers from the European Union, questions about transfers of personal data to the United States are a matter for EU and national data protection authorities.
On the form as it stands, the information requested about your phone is limited to your current contact details. Any expansion would be announced in the Federal Register before it applies, giving travellers time to understand the change.
Common Questions About ESTA Phone Number History
Do I have to list five years of phone numbers on my ESTA?
No. The current form asks for your contact phone number. A five-year phone history is part of a December 2025 CBP proposal that is not in effect.
Do I include family members’ phone numbers in my ESTA?
Not on the current form, apart from your emergency point of contact. Family members’ phone numbers are part of the December 2025 proposal, which has not been implemented.
What if I used a partner’s or family member’s phone?
Give the number at which you can be reached. You don’t need to list phones you have borrowed.
Are previous work phone numbers required?
No. The employment section may ask for your current or previous employer’s details, but you are not asked for a history of work phone numbers.
Should I include phone numbers from countries where I’ve lived?
Give your current contact number. A history of numbers from other countries is not requested on the current form.
Will CBP contact the phone number I list?
CBP may use your contact details to reach you about your application, so give a number you can answer.
When could the five-year requirement start?
There is no confirmed date. According to the U.S. Embassy in France, any new requirement will be formally announced in the Federal Register before implementation.
Does anything change for minors?
Each traveller, including a child, needs their own ESTA. A parent or guardian can complete the application and provide contact details where the child can be reached.
Data Security and Protection Best Practices
Whatever information you provide, a few habits help protect it. Use only official channels and keep your records safe.
Privacy protection recommendations:
- Apply only on the official ESTA website (esta.cbp.dhs.gov) or the official ESTA Mobile app
- Review your ESTA application thoroughly before submitting it
- Keep a copy of your application number and confirmation for your records
- Be wary of emails or calls asking for your ESTA details or payment
- Use secure passwords for the email account linked to your application
- Don’t share ESTA confirmation numbers or application details unnecessarily
- Check the address bar before entering payment details
These habits reduce the risk of falling for copycat sites and scams, which are a more immediate risk to most travellers than the data CBP itself holds.
Future of ESTA Phone History Requirements
According to the U.S. Embassy in France, the next steps for the December 2025 proposal are a review of the public comments, a further 30-day notice in the Federal Register and a review by the Office of Management and Budget before any implementation.
What to watch for:
- A 30-day notice in the Federal Register on the ESTA information collection
- Any announcement by CBP of a start date
- Changes to the questions on the official ESTA website and app
- Guidance from U.S. embassies in your country
- Any change to whether the social media question is optional
Until any of these happens, the current ESTA form and procedures apply.
Summary: ESTA Phone History Requirements in 2026
On the current ESTA form you give your contact phone number, not a five-year history. The five-year phone history is one of several fields in CBP’s December 2025 proposal, which is not in effect and would be announced in the Federal Register before it applied. Give accurate, current contact details and apply only through official channels.
For more on the process, see our guides to ESTA requirements, application guidance, and social media requirements. For official detail, check the CBP ESTA website and the Department of Homeland Security. Worried about the privacy side? Contact the DHS Privacy Office or your nearest U.S. embassy before you apply.
Related ESTA and USA Travel Guides
Want more on ESTA, the Visa Waiver Program, and day-to-day US travel tips? Browse the related guides below. Each one adds country-specific detail, step-by-step walkthroughs, and cost breakdowns.
- Monaco ESTA requirements
- Latvian ESTA guide
- Dutch ESTA guide
- ESTA for UK citizens
- what to do if your ESTA is denied
- French citizens ESTA information
- Luxembourg ESTA information
- Estonian ESTA information
Last updated: October 2026. Information verified against official CBP and DHS sources.
