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What is the up to date wording of the question about "Do you have a physical or mental disorder" on the US ESTA form?

I am asking for my son who is a UK citizen wishing to travel to the United States.

I have read the link What counts as a mental disorder for ESTA? but I can not find the link referred to in the answer.

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    Comments have been moved to chat; please do not continue the discussion here. Before posting a comment below this one, please review the purposes of comments. Comments that do not request clarification or suggest improvements usually belong as an answer, on Travel Meta, or in Travel Chat. Comments continuing discussion may be removed.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Feb 8, 2023 at 20:31
  • What about people who have none of them (or both)?
    – Cjxcz Odjcayrwl
    Commented Feb 12, 2023 at 19:29
  • @DanubianSailor I think the preferred path would then be a DS-160 visa so that the situation can be discussed with an Immigration Officer. The wording on the DS-160 is Do you have a mental or physical disorder that poses or is likely to pose a threat to the safety or welfare of yourself or others? which is much easier to answer.
    – user10186832
    Commented May 13, 2023 at 15:20
  • This from the DHS website help section - Can I reapply if my application was denied? If a traveler is denied ESTA authorization and his or her circumstances have not changed, a new application will also be denied. A traveler who is not eligible for ESTA is not eligible for travel under the Visa Waiver Program and should apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Reapplying with false information in order to qualify for a travel authorization will make the traveler permanently ineligible for travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
    – user10186832
    Commented May 13, 2023 at 15:21

2 Answers 2

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The exact wording of the question as per the official application website is:

Do you have a physical or mental disorder; or are you a drug abuser or addict; or do you currently have any of the following diseases (communicable diseases are specified pursuant to section 361(b) of the Public Health Service Act):

  • Cholera
  • Diphtheria
  • Tuberculosis, infectious
  • Plague
  • Smallpox
  • Yellow Fever
  • Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, including Ebola, Lassa, Marburg, Crimean-Congo
  • Severe acute respiratory illnesses capable of transmission to other persons and likely to cause mortality.

You can see the full list of questions on this page (archive link in case the link changes).

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    @user10186832 this is the exact wording as of today, copied directly from the application form
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Feb 6, 2023 at 21:21
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    @JonathanReez How did you get to the page with this question from the starting page you linked to without actually starting an application? Can U.S. citizens even do that (after uploading the passport the website should realize that a U.S. citizen does not need an ESTA?)
    – Peter - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Feb 8, 2023 at 10:09
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    @Peter-ReinstateMonica I filled it out for Mr. John Smith from Germany. Perfectly legal if you don’t actually pay/submit it. And later I’ve found a separate official page that lists them all.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Feb 8, 2023 at 12:30
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Note: This doesn't answer the question directly, but may be useful information for others who wonder how to answer the ESTA question about physical or mental disorders. I've upvoted JonathanReez's answer, which provides the exact text of the question.

This is not the exact wording of the question, but here's a clarification from CBP about that question, under "Can you provide guidance and clarification for some of the Eligibility questions?" in the FAQ:

Physical or Mental Disorders

With regard to physical or mental disorders, answer "Yes" to this question if:

  • You currently have a physical or mental disorder and a history of behavior associated with the disorder that may pose or has posed a threat to your property, safety or welfare or that of others; or

  • You had a physical or mental disorder and a history of behavior associated with the disorder that has posed a threat to your property, safety or welfare or that of others and the behavior is likely to recur or lead to other harmful behavior.

Answer "No" if:

  • You currently have no physical or mental disorders; or
  • You have or had a physical or mental disorder without associated behavior that may pose or has posed a threat to your property, safety or welfare of that of others; or
  • You currently have a physical or mental disorder with associated behavior, but that behavior has not posed, does not currently pose nor will pose a threat to your property, safety or welfare or that of others; or
  • You had a physical or mental disorder with associated behavior that posed a threat to your property, safety or welfare or that of others, but that behavior is unlikely to recur.

I don't think I can get an exact link, but it's under the Completing Your ESTA Application section, fifth question in the first/left column.

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    While this is indeed not literally the answer, it is such vital context to understanding the answer JonathanReez posted that it does need to be included here. Someone interpreting the question on the application form probably would not assume it means the same thing as the definition given here, and it is important for us to not mislead people by not providing this FAQ information.
    – Zach Lipton
    Commented Feb 7, 2023 at 0:44
  • Comments have been moved to chat; please do not continue the discussion here. Before posting a comment below this one, please review the purposes of comments. Comments that do not request clarification or suggest improvements usually belong as an answer, on Travel Meta, or in Travel Chat. Comments continuing discussion may be removed.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Feb 8, 2023 at 20:31

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