Starting this autumn, some travellers heading to the US will have to pay an increased fee for their visa waiver.
Citizens of 41 countries, including those in the EU, have to apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) for visits up to 90 days.
The fee for the ESTA is set to almost double at the end of September.
The price hike comes as the US is experiencing a steep decline in foreign tourists, and could potentially further dissuade visitors.
ESTA fee to almost double at the end of September
The ESTA fee will rise from $21 (€18) to $40 (€34) on 30 September 2025.
The ESTA is required for travellers entering the US through the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and remains valid for two years. These include nationals of EU member states and the UK.
These travellers can visit the US for business or tourism stays for 90 days or less without a visa, as long as they have an ESTA.
The fee structure consists of a $10 (€8.50) processing charge plus an extra $30 (€25.60) authorisation fee once the ESTA gets approved. This extra $30 includes a $17 (€14.50) travel promotion charge and a $13 (€11) Treasury General Fund charge.
When an ESTA application gets rejected, applicants pay only the $10 processing charge.
US sees sharp decline in foreign tourists
When the US Congress passed legislation for the cost increase in July, the move was condemned by the US Travel Association.
The US is experiencing a global downturn in visitor numbers. According to preliminary figures from the US National Travel and Tourism Office, international arrivals, not including travellers from Canada or Mexico, have fallen 1.6 per cent, or more than 3 million, so far in 2025 when compared to 2024.
Foreign travel to the US also dropped 3.1 per cent compared to last year in July to 19.2 million people. This was the fifth month that visitor numbers fell in 2025. It has countered expectations that travel numbers would finally top pre-pandemic levels of 79.4 million this year.
The declining appeal of the US as a travel destination has been spurred by the Trump administration’s immigration policies, as well as widespread tariffs and foreign aid cuts.
Tourist arrivals are also likely to be affected by a new $250 (€287) “visa integrity fee” that will go into effect on 1 October this year.
This will affect travellers from non-visa waiver countries such as Argentina, Mexico, China, Brazil and India.
It will increase the total US visa cost to $442 (€379). This would make it one of the most expensive tourist visas in the world, according to the US Travel Association, along with Australia’s visitor visa under subclass 600, at AUD 195 (€108) and the UK’s six-month tourist visa at £127 (€145).