ESTA: Official Fee, Who Needs It and the Official Application Website
An automated check that decides whether you can travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. An approved ESTA is not a visa. cbp.gov · read
- Official fee
- US$40.27
- US$40.62 from 16 October 2026, under a Federal Register notice of 1 October 2026.
- federalregister.gov · read
Apply on esta.cbp.dhs.gov, the official CBP site
This is the US government (Customs and Border Protection)'s own site, at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. We are not paid to send you there, and there is no service in between.
Who needs it
Citizens of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries travelling for business or tourism for 90 days or less. UK passports must show British citizenship. cbp.gov · read
Show the countries on the official list
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
You do not need an ESTA if you travel on a valid US visa. cbp.gov · read
What else the official site says
- If your application is denied, you pay only the processing part: US$10.27, or US$10.62 from 16 October 2026. federalregister.gov · read
- Everyone pays the US$10.27 processing fee; the remaining US$30 is charged only if the ESTA is approved. esta.cbp.dhs.gov · read
- The fee rose from US$40.00 to US$40.27, collected from 1 January 2026. esta.cbp.dhs.gov · read
- Every child, of any age, needs their own ESTA. cbp.gov · read
- Children listed on a parent's passport do not qualify; they need their own passport. esta.cbp.dhs.gov · read
- You need an e-passport, with an electronic chip. cbp.gov · read
- You need an ESTA or a visa even to change planes in the United States. cbp.gov · read
- Brunei passports get a maximum of one year. esta.cbp.dhs.gov · read
- An approved ESTA is not a visa, and cannot replace one where a visa is required. cbp.gov · read
What changed
- A Federal Register notice set the fee at US$40.62 from 16 October 2026. federalregister.gov · read
- The ESTA fee rose from US$40.00 to US$40.27. esta.cbp.dhs.gov · read
Questions
- How much does the US ESTA cost?
- US$40.27 until 15 October 2026; US$40.62 from 16 October 2026 on the official site. Other websites may charge more to submit the same application.
- How long is the US ESTA valid?
- 2 years, or until your passport expires if sooner
- Who needs the US ESTA?
- Citizens of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries travelling for business or tourism for 90 days or less. UK passports must show British citizenship.
Guides for United States
Last checked 4 October 2026, on the official pages linked beside each figure. Check every figure against the government page before you pay.