The new ESTA fees went into effect today, meaning that travelers planning to visit the United States will now be required to pay a higher price in order to enter the country. The charge for using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) has gone up from $14 to $21 (£16.55/€19.60). This increase was implemented by US Customs and Border Protection (CPB). Today is the first day that the new charge will be collected for any and all new applications.
It said that those who have had their applications for an ESTA granted did not need to reapply at this time since an ESTA is good for up to two years.
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a web-based program that gives participants of the Visa Waiver Program (WVP) unrestricted access to the United States.
There are as many as 40 countries that are members of the WVP, some of which include the European Union states, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, and Taiwan.
To be eligible for an ESTA, travellers must be going to the United States for business, tourism, study of less than 90 days, or transit purposes. With an ESTA, visitors may remain in the country visa-free for up to ninety days on each visit.
The ESTA application must be completed online by any passenger who is qualified to do so. It must be applied at least three days in advance of travel in order to be valid, and must be done so in order to board any airline, bus, or ship bound towards the United States.
Although this is the first time the charge has gone up since 2015, the increase of $7 is not the last time it will go up. According to the CBP, the cost will go up again before 2027 in an attempt to fund the Travel Promotional Fund.
According to the statement, “CBP anticipates that the fee increase will not adversely affect travel to the United States” because “the $7 fee increase is relatively small compared to the costs involved in travel to the United States,” which means that “CBP anticipates that the fee increase will not adversely affect travel to the United States.”
When flying into the United States from any other country in the world, passengers entering the country are required to produce evidence that they have passed the COVID-19 testing. The test must to be taken by all passengers older than two at least one day before they are scheduled to depart.