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ESTA administration fee starts today

Formalities 03/03/2011

Starting today (Wednesday 8th September), travellers going to the United States under the Visa Waver Program through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will have to pay an administrative fee of $14 (£9). The system was introduced in 2008 and become an obligation for entry into America from January 2009. This applies to travellers of all countries whose citizens do not require a visa to enter the USA including the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Despite the revenue from the new tax being used to promote the US as a holiday destination, according to some figures the fee will in fact discourage some travellers from going to the country.

You can apply for your authorization on the ESTA website. Credit cards accepted are MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and Discover.

The Editorial Team

In brief