If your travel plans involve visiting the United States of America, the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) fee is about to be increased to $40.
This marks an increase from the current $21 per application.
The fee applies to new ESTA applications from the 30th September 2025.
According to the US ESTA site:
The fee for travelers intending to travel to the United States with an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) has increased from $21 to $40.
The ESTA application fee is now made up of three parts, the travel promotion fee, the operational fee, and the Treasury General Fund fee.
Congress, through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (PL 119-21), added the Treasury General Fund fee of no less than $13 and increased the operational fee portion of the ESTA application fee from $4 to no less than $10.
The $17 travel promotion fee portion of the ESTA application has not increased.
Scenarios:
- If you have a valid ESTA, this remains valid until the end of its life. You do not have to renew at this point. When your ESTA validity period ends and you reapply for an ESTA, you will be charged the new fee of $40 per application.
- You must have submitted and paid before the 30th September 2025 to pay the current fee.
- If you have half-submitted an application, but have not paid and submit on the 30th September or later, you will be charged the new $40 fee.
- Anyone applying after systems have been updated on the 30th September will need to pay the full fee
Applying for an ESTA
As usual, apply via the US ESTA Site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. The site also has the reasons listed for the ESTA price increase. You will need to be in a country that the USA accepts in its Visa Waiver Program, as well as meet its requirements.
For travellers with near-future travel plans to the USA, it could be worth getting your skates on to apply if you want to pay the lower fee.
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