European travellers to the US will see ESTA fee almost double at end of September

Published on 05/09/2025 - 14:37 GMT+2

Starting this autumn, immoderate travellers heading to nan US will person to salary an accrued interest for their visa waiver. 

Citizens of 41 countries, including those successful nan EU, person to use for nan Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) for visits up to 90 days. 

The interest for nan ESTA is group to almost double astatine nan extremity of September.

The value hike comes arsenic nan US is experiencing a steep diminution successful overseas tourists, and could perchance further dissuade visitors.

ESTA interest to almost double astatine nan extremity of September

The ESTA interest will emergence from $21 (€18) to $40 (€34) connected 30 September 2025. 

The ESTA is required for travellers entering nan US done nan Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and remains valid for 2 years. These see nationals of EU personnel states and nan UK. 

These travellers tin sojourn nan US for business aliases tourism stays for 90 days aliases little without a visa, arsenic agelong arsenic they person an ESTA. 

The interest building consists of a $10 (€8.50) processing complaint positive an other $30 (€25.60) authorisation interest erstwhile nan ESTA gets approved. This other $30 includes a $17 (€14.50) recreation promotion complaint and a $13 (€11) Treasury General Fund charge.

When an ESTA exertion gets rejected, applicants salary only nan $10 processing charge.

US sees crisp diminution successful overseas tourists

When nan US Congress passed authorities for nan costs summation successful July, nan move was condemned by nan US Travel Association.

The US is experiencing a world downturn successful visitant numbers. According to preliminary figures from nan US National Travel and Tourism Office, world arrivals, not including travellers from Canada aliases Mexico, person fallen 1.6 per cent, aliases much than 3 million, truthful acold successful 2025 erstwhile compared to 2024. 

Foreign recreation to nan US besides dropped 3.1 per cent compared to past twelvemonth successful July to 19.2 cardinal people. This was nan 5th period that visitant numbers fell successful 2025. It has countered expectations that recreation numbers would yet apical pre-pandemic levels of 79.4 cardinal this year. 

The declining entreaty of nan US arsenic a recreation destination has been spurred by nan Trump administration’s migration policies, arsenic good arsenic wide tariffs and overseas assistance cuts. 

Tourist arrivals are besides apt to beryllium affected by a caller $250 (€287) “visa integrity fee” that will spell into effect connected 1 October this year. 

This will impact travellers from non-visa waiver countries specified arsenic Argentina, Mexico, China, Brazil and India. 

It will summation nan full US visa costs to $442 (€379). This would make it 1 of nan astir costly tourer visas successful nan world, according to nan US Travel Association, on pinch Australia’s visitant visa nether subclass 600, astatine AUD 195 (€108) and nan UK’s six-month tourer visa astatine £127 (€145).