U.S. to Increase ESTA Fee by $19

U.S. authorities have confirmed that the brand new elevated payment of $40 for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization will take impact from later this month.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection mentioned the ESTA payment will practically double from its present $21 to $40 from Sept. 30.

Visitors from visa waiver nations, such because the U.Okay. and most EU members, have to use for an ESTA for entry to the United States. The authorization is legitimate for 2 years except the traveler’s passport expires inside this time.

“All unpaid ESTA applications in the system after the system update on September 30, 2025, will be subject to the new fee amount of $40,” confirmed CBP in an announcement on its web site.

U.S. authorities beforehand raised the payment for an ESTA software from $14 to $21 in May 2022.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership mentioned: “The price of an ESTA nearly doubling under the Trump administration is a blow to British travelers and is likely to impact U.S. visitor numbers over the coming months.

“However, if travelers are planning a trip to the U.S. in the next two years, they can avoid this fee increase by securing their ESTA before 29 September.”

The rise within the worth of an ESTA comes after the UK increased the charge for its personal Electronic Travel Authorization from £10 to £16 in April.

Meanwhile, the EU has raised the planned application fee for its forthcoming European Travel Information and Authorization System from €7 to €20, although it’s not on account of be launched till late 2026.

ETIAS shall be preceded by the phased launch of the EU’s new biometric Entry-Exit System, which is lastly on account of be launched on Oct. 12.

Lo Bue-Said predicted that the launch of EES, which would require non-EU vacationers to offer a digital facial picture and fingerprints on the border, might result in longer queues for U.Okay. passport holders visiting EU nations from mid-October.

“In a few weeks you will start to see them taking biometrics, although passports will still be stamped,” she added. “There are likely to be more queues for Brits travelling to the EU.

“Spain is one of the countries that is 100 per cent ready and geared up to take biometrics. Over time, it will get easier as more countries make sure they are EES-ready.

“It’s a confusing time for travelers. We’re providing members with a toolkit of different assets so they can communicate with the customer about what it means for them.”