My Holiday Expert

The total fee for travellers visiting the US has been set at $14.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta) has been a mandatory condition of travel to the US since January 2009 but the full charge comes in from September 8.

Online completion of Esta, and its approval, is mandatory head of travel for Britons and all other travellers who qualify under the Visa Waiver Programme.

Of the $14, $10 will be ring-fenced to promote tourism to the US through fam trips and marketing among other things, while $4 will pay for administration costs.

All payments must be made by credit or debit card when applying for or renewing an Esta at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

The Esta system currently accepts the following credit/debit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover. Applications will not be submitted for processing until all payment information is received.

Applications can be submitted at any time prior to travel. Once approved, authorisations are generally valid for multiple entries into the US for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires.

Under the new interim final rule, travellers with an approved Esta will not need to pay the Esta fees when updating an Esta application. 

However, travellers with new passports and reapplying for an Esta will need to pay the Esta fee.

The US’s Tourism Promotion Corporation will decide how the revenue will be spent.

source: www.travelweekly.co.uk