New ESTA Fee
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010Beginning September 8, 2010, travelers from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must pay operational and travel promotion fees when applying for ESTA authorization.
The total fee for a new or renewed ESTA will be $14. All payments for electronic travel authorization applications must be made by credit card or debit card when applying for or renewing an ESTA. The application will not be submitted for processing until all payment information is received.
ESTA is an electronic travel authorization that all nationals of VWP countries must obtain prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the United States under the VWP. This travel authorization has been mandatory since Jan. 12, 2009. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. Once approved, authorizations are generally valid for multiple entries into the U.S. for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires or other specific circumstances give rise to a need to reapply, whichever comes first. Under the new interim final rule, travelers with an approved ESTA will not need to pay the ESTA fees when updating an ESTA application. However, travelers with new passports and reapplying for an ESTA will need to pay the ESTA fees.
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