Major travel change as UK tourists face extra charges for entering the US

The cost of a Electronic System for Travel Authorisation – which are mandatory for visitors to the US, such as Brits using British passports, travelling under the Visa Waiver Program – is due to increase from Thursday

Travel to the US is about to get more expensive when a visa fee rises by 50%.

From Thursday the cost of a Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) will increase from $14 (£11) to $21 (£17).

ESTAs are the visas that most Brits use to get into the country.

The document lasts for two years, anyone expecting to travel in the next 24 months could apply today to avoid the extra charge.

It’s mandatory for visitors to the US, such as Brits using British passports, travelling under the Visa Waiver Program.

All those who travel through the country on the way to somewhere else also need to pick one up.

ESTA allows travellers from 40 countries participating in the visa waiver programme to enter the US for stays of up to 90 days without having to acquire a visa.

US Customs data shows ESTA applications slumped to just 1.2 million last year from 6.3 million in 2020 and a 15.1 million high in pre-pandemic 2019.

A similar scheme will soon take place for EU countries.

Travellers from the UK will have to pay a fee for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System).

The new application is an electronic travel permit that has been introduced to enhance the security and enforce the borders of the Schengen zone and is expected to start at the end of 2022.

The new visa waiver is expected to be valid for three years and allow unlimited entries into the EU.

UK travellers will need to complete the short ETIAS online application form.

The application form should not take longer than 10 minutes to complete.