ESTA for the USA from the UK and other Visa Waiver countries: fee, who qualifies and copycat sites

If you are going to the USA from the UK, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Australia, Chile, Qatar or another Visa Waiver country, you usually need an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), not a visa. You must have an approved ESTA before you board. That applies whether you are planning a week in New York, a road trip through California or a connection in Miami on the way to the Caribbean.

Getting an ESTA is quick and cheap if you use the official service. Many travellers pay far more on lookalike websites that sit high in search results. This guide explains who qualifies, what the official fee is (it changes on 16 October 2026), who must apply for a visa instead, and how to tell the real site from a copycat. We checked every rule, fee and date on the official US government pages in the Sources list on 6 October 2026.

ESTA for the USA: quick answer

• What it is: an online travel authorisation for visitors from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries. CBP says “ESTA is not a visa”. Approval lets you board. It does not guarantee entry: a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer decides at the border.
• Who can use it: citizens or nationals of the 42 VWP countries, including the UK, Ireland, most EU countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Israel and Qatar. You must travel for 90 days or less, for business, tourism or transit.
• Official fee: $40.27 per person when we checked on 6 October 2026. A Federal Register notice says it rises to $40.62 from 16 October 2026.
• Where to apply: only on esta.cbp.dhs.gov or the official ESTA Mobile app linked from that site.
• How long it lasts: 2 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can make many trips.
• Stay per visit: up to 90 days. You cannot extend your stay or change status in the US.
• When to apply: CBP recommends applying when you book your travel. Do not leave it to the last few days: a 2018 CBP notice told travellers to apply at least 72 hours before departure.
• Who needs a visa instead: anyone who has been to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since 1 March 2011, or to Cuba since 12 January 2021 (with limited exceptions); dual nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria; anyone refused an ESTA; and anyone with an arrest or criminal record, according to the US Embassy in London.

Who this applies to

What you need depends on the passport you travel on, not where you live.

You can apply for an ESTA if you are a citizen or national of a VWP country, you do not already hold a valid US visitor visa, and you plan a business or tourist trip, or a transit, of 90 days or less. If you arrive by air or sea, the official ESTA FAQ also says you must have a return or onward ticket and travel with a carrier that has signed the VWP agreement. This includes private aircraft.

The official ESTA website lists these 42 VWP countries (checked on 6 October 2026):

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

Qatar is the newest member (21 November 2024). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says Romania was designated in January 2025, but that designation was rescinded on 2 May 2025 before it took effect.

Special cases:

• British passports. Only British citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man qualify. A passport for a British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British National (Overseas) or British Protected Person does not.
• Taiwan passport holders must give their personal identification number (PIN) as well as the passport number.
• Brunei. Since 6 July 2023, ESTAs for citizens of Brunei are valid for 1 year, not 2.
• You already have a US visa. If it is valid for your trip, travel on the visa. You do not need an ESTA.
• No ESTA needed: Canadian citizens travelling on a Canadian passport, US lawful permanent residents (green card holders) and US citizens. A dual US citizen should travel on their US passport.
• Other passports. If your country is not on the list, for example India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines or the UAE, ESTA is not available to you. Check the visa rules for your passport on travel.state.gov.

ESTA fee: what the official sources say

The fee is set in US dollars by law and now changes each year with inflation. Here is the timeline from the Federal Register notices and the ESTA website.

How the fee works, in CBP’s words: everyone pays a processing fee ($10.27 when we checked). If you are approved, a further $30 is added, made up of a $17 travel promotion fee and a $13 Treasury General Fund fee. If you are denied, you pay only the processing fee.

What to know before you pay:

• Each person pays. Every traveller, including babies, needs their own ESTA, so a family of four pays four fees.
• An approved ESTA stays valid. CBP says you do not need to reapply because the fee went up. You pay the new fee only when you next apply.
• Payment methods: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover (the site names JCB and Diners Club) or PayPal. Your card company may add its own charges.
• Do not ask your bank for a refund. The official site warns that a chargeback request leads to an automatic denial of the application.

If you were charged more than the official fee, you almost certainly used a third-party site. CBP says it “cannot refund the money you paid to a third party website”.

How to spot copycat ESTA sites

Search “ESTA” and you may see paid adverts for private websites. Some look official and add their own “service” or “processing” charge on top of the real fee. CBP says these sites “are not endorsed by, associated with, or affiliated in any way with DHS or the U.S. government”, and that using one “will not expedite approval”.

Signs you are not on the official service:

• The address is not esta.cbp.dhs.gov. The official site ends in .gov. Words like “official”, “USA”, “visa” or “ESTA” in a .com or .org address prove nothing.
• The price is more than the official fee in US dollars. Your card provider’s currency conversion is the only reasonable difference.
• The site sells “fast track” or “express” processing, or promises approval. CBP says a private service does not speed things up, and only CBP decides.
• It calls the ESTA a “visa”. CBP is clear that it is not.
• The app is not the one linked from the official ESTA website. Use the App Store or Google Play links on esta.cbp.dhs.gov to get ESTA Mobile.

Already used a third-party site? CBP suggests you check your application number on the official site. CBP cannot know whether the details passed on by the third party are accurate, and a mistake could cause problems when you arrive.

How to apply on the official site

1. Check your passport. It must be an e-passport, with a chip and the international chip symbol on the cover, from a VWP country. Emergency and temporary passports must also be e-passports.
2. Go to esta.cbp.dhs.gov or open the ESTA Mobile app linked from it.
3. Have the details ready. The official site asks for your passport, a selfie of the traveller, a valid email address, your home address and phone number, an emergency contact and a payment method. You may also need your employer’s details and a US point of contact. You do not need confirmed travel plans. If you are in transit, select “Yes” to the transit question.
4. Answer the eligibility questions honestly. They cover topics such as communicable diseases, arrests and convictions, past visa refusals or removals, and travel to certain countries. CBP warns that reapplying with false information can make you permanently ineligible for the VWP.
5. Review, then pay. CBP estimates the form takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Check your status. There are three outcomes: “Authorization Approved”, “Travel Not Authorized” or “Authorization Pending”. Pending means CBP could not decide straight away. It “does not indicate negative findings”.

You do not need a printout at the airport, as airlines check your ESTA electronically. CBP recommends keeping a copy for your records.

The social media question

The ESTA form includes a question about your online presence: social media platforms and identifiers. When we checked on 6 October 2026, the official ESTA FAQ still called this question optional. But the ESTA site’s own form text also asks about your online presence “over the past five years”, includes a message saying an answer is required, and offers an “I do not have an online presence” box. So the form you see may ask you to answer it. Always follow what the form shows, do not skip a field it marks as required, and answer truthfully. If you have no accounts, use the “no online presence” option if it is offered.

In December 2025, CBP published a Federal Register notice proposing changes to ESTA. These include making 5 years of social media history mandatory, collecting more personal details and accepting new applications only through ESTA Mobile. Comments closed on 9 February 2026. When we checked, we found no later Federal Register notice confirming that these changes are in force, and the ESTA FAQ still described the social media question as optional, even though the form text already refers to five years of online presence. We will update this guide if CBP confirms them.

How long your ESTA lasts, and when you need a new one

An approved ESTA usually lasts 2 years, or until your passport expires if that is sooner. It covers multiple entries. On each visit you can stay up to 90 days. CBP says there is no fixed gap required between trips, but leave a reasonable time between visits so the officer does not think you are trying to live in the US.

You need a new ESTA if:

• you get a new passport
• you change your name
• your country of citizenship changes
• your answers to any yes/no eligibility question would now be different

ESTAs cannot be extended. If yours expires while you are in the US, that does not affect your departure. Your ESTA only needs to be valid when you arrive.

Passport validity: the US Embassy in London says VWP travellers do not need the usual 6 months of passport validity beyond their stay, except passport holders from Brunei. If your passport has less than 90 days left, you are admitted only until it expires.

When you need a B-1/B-2 visa instead

A visitor visa (B-1 for business, B-2 for tourism) is applied for through the U.S. Department of State, with an interview in most cases. CBP says you should apply for a visa instead of an ESTA if:

• you plan to stay more than 90 days
• your trip is for any purpose other than short-term tourism or business
• you will arrive on a carrier that has not signed the VWP agreement, including private aircraft that are not VWP signatories
• you think any ground of inadmissibility under US immigration law applies to you

You also need a visa if:

• you travelled to certain countries. This covers Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, or Cuba on or after 12 January 2021. Limited exceptions apply, for example military service or official duties as a full-time employee of a VWP country’s government. DHS can also grant waivers case by case.
• you are a dual national of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan or Syria. The exceptions above do not apply to dual nationals.
• your ESTA was denied. If your circumstances have not changed, a new application will also be denied. CBP cannot tell you why. You can ask for a review through the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP), but CBP says there is no guarantee this will change the outcome. The ESTA FAQ adds that US embassies and consulates cannot resolve the issue behind a denial, but they can process a visa application.
• you have an arrest or criminal record. The US Embassy in London says travellers who have been arrested, even without a conviction, or who have a criminal record should not travel under the VWP. The UK’s Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to US visa law. The same goes for anyone who has been refused admission to, or deported from, the US, or who has overstayed under the VWP.

Being refused an ESTA does not ban you from the US. It only means you cannot use the VWP. Visa appointments can take time, and the official ESTA FAQ says next-day appointments cannot be guaranteed. Check fees and waiting times on travel.state.gov before you book.

Transit, cruises and land crossings

• Transit: you need an ESTA (or a visa) even if you are only changing planes in the US.
• Air and sea: VWP travellers arriving by air or sea need an approved ESTA.
• Land crossings from Canada or Mexico: official sources do not agree. The ESTA FAQ says an ESTA is not required by land, and that without one you fill in a paper I-94W form at the border. But a November 2025 Federal Register fee notice says VWP travellers need an ESTA whether they arrive by air, sea or land. Check the ESTA FAQ before you travel, or apply for an ESTA anyway to be safe. With a valid ESTA, the FAQ says you skip the paper I-94W but still go through a manual entry process.
• US territories: an ESTA is required for VWP trips to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. VWP travel to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands also needs an ESTA. Some nationalities can instead use the separate Guam-CNMI visa waiver, for up to 45 days on those islands only.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying a copycat site for the same ESTA you can get on esta.cbp.dhs.gov for the official fee
• Applying the day you fly. CBP recommends applying when you book, and some applications are held as “Authorization Pending” for review
• Forgetting the children. Every child, including babies, needs their own passport and ESTA
• Renewing your passport and travelling on an ESTA linked to the old one
• Ticking “no” to the arrest question because a UK caution or conviction is “spent”
• Not mentioning a trip to Cuba, Iran or another listed country on the form
• Booking non-refundable fares before every traveller has an approved ESTA or visa
• Treating the ESTA as a guarantee. The CBP officer still decides at the border, so carry your return or onward booking

Planning your US trip

• Flights: compare routes to New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Miami and other US airports. Compare flights.
• Hotels: keep your first night’s address handy, as the ESTA form asks where you will stay. Compare hotels.
• Mobile data: an eSIM keeps maps and messages working when you land. See eSIM options or read eSIM vs roaming vs local SIM.
• Travel insurance: ESTA does not require insurance, but a policy can cover medical costs, delays and lost baggage, depending on its terms. Compare travel insurance.
• Travelling on to the UK or Europe? See our UK ETA guide and EES and ETIAS explained.

How Voyfaro can help

• ESTA and visas: we point you to the official US government pages and explain them in plain English. We do not apply for, issue or guarantee ESTAs or visas, and you can apply yourself on the official site. See our visa guidance.
• Bookings: we help you compare flights, hotels, eSIMs and travel insurance from trusted partners we reach through the Travelpayouts affiliate network.
• You stay in control: you book and pay directly with the partner. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
• Questions? Contact us with your route, dates, passports and who is travelling.

FAQ

Do British citizens need an ESTA to visit the USA?

Yes, for visa-free trips of up to 90 days for tourism, business or transit, if you are a British citizen with the right of abode in the UK. Other British passport types do not qualify and need a visa. If you already hold a valid US visitor visa, use that instead.

How much does an ESTA cost?

$40.27 per person on the official site when we checked on 6 October 2026. A Federal Register notice says the fee becomes $40.62 from 16 October 2026. If your application is denied, you pay only the processing part ($10.27, then $10.62).

How long is an ESTA valid?

Usually 2 years, or until your passport expires if that is sooner. You can stay up to 90 days on each visit. Brunei citizens get 1 year.

How far in advance should I apply?

CBP recommends applying when you book your travel. Do not leave it late: some applications go to “Authorization Pending” for review, and a 2018 CBP notice told travellers to apply at least 72 hours before departure.

Do I need an ESTA if I am only changing planes in the US?

Yes. VWP travellers need an ESTA or a visa even to transit. Select “Yes” to the transit question on the form.

Do babies and children need an ESTA?

Yes. Every child needs their own ESTA and their own passport, whatever their age. A parent or guardian can apply for them and must answer truthfully.

I was arrested or cautioned years ago. Can I use ESTA?

The US Embassy in London says travellers who have been arrested, even without a conviction, or who have a criminal record should not travel under the VWP and should apply for a visa. The UK’s Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to US visa law.

I visited Cuba recently. Can I still get an ESTA?

With limited exceptions, not if you visited Cuba on or after 12 January 2021. Apply for a visa instead. The same applies to travel to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since 1 March 2011.

Is the ESTA app official?

ESTA Mobile is the app promoted on the official ESTA website. Use the App Store or Google Play links on esta.cbp.dhs.gov, so you do not pick up a copycat app that charges extra.

What should I do if my ESTA is denied?

Apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa through the U.S. Department of State. A new ESTA application will also be denied unless your circumstances have changed. CBP cannot tell you the reason. You can ask for a review through DHS TRIP, but CBP says there is no guarantee it will help. Allow time, because visa appointments are not guaranteed at short notice.

Can Voyfaro apply for my ESTA?

No. Only CBP issues ESTAs, and you can apply yourself on esta.cbp.dhs.gov or ESTA Mobile. We can help you compare flights, hotels, eSIMs and insurance for your trip.

Sources

Official pages we checked on 6 October 2026:

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Official ESTA application website (what you need to apply, including a selfie; $40.27 fee shown; ESTA Mobile app links; list of 42 Visa Waiver Program countries)
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ESTA frequently asked questions (ESTA is not a visa; eligibility, including a return or onward ticket and a VWP signatory carrier; apply when you book; British citizens with right of abode; Taiwan PIN; e-passport rules; 2-year validity and 90 days per visit; Brunei 1-year validity from 6 July 2023; fee parts and $40.27 from 1 January 2026; no refund from third-party sites; chargebacks lead to denial; children; transit; Canadians, green card holders and US citizens; Guam, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands; land crossings from Canada and Mexico and the paper I-94W; the FAQ calls the social media question optional, while the form text asks about online presence over five years; eligibility questions; about 22 to 23 minutes to complete; three status outcomes; when to get a visa instead; denials, DHS TRIP and what embassies can and cannot do; reapplying; Cuba)
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (e-passport requirement; apply as soon as you begin planning; approval does not guarantee admission)
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Frequently Asked Questions about the VWP and ESTA (third-party websites not affiliated with DHS and do not speed up approval; 2-year validity)
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act FAQ (travel since 1 March 2011, dual nationals, Cuba, exceptions and case-by-case waivers)
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP reminds travelers to allow 72 hours for ESTA, 11 December 2018, now in CBP’s media release archive (apply as soon as possible and at least 72 hours before departure)
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Visa Waiver Program (current VWP countries with dates; Qatar from 21 November 2024; Romania designation rescinded on 2 May 2025; last updated 2 May 2025)
• Federal Register, Certain DHS Immigration Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2026 Adjustments for Inflation, 19 November 2025 ($21 fee before HR-1; $40 from 30 September 2025; $40.27 from 1 January 2026; denied fee $10.27; says ESTA is needed by air, sea or land, which differs from the ESTA FAQ on land crossings)
• Federal Register, Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for Inflation, 1 October 2026 ($40.62 from 16 October 2026; denied fee $10.62)
• Federal Register, Agency Information Collection Activities: Form I-94 and ESTA, 10 December 2025 (proposed mandatory social media, more data fields and mobile-only applications; comments closed 9 February 2026)
• U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom, Visa Waiver Program (VWP) (arrests and criminal records, Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, previous refusals and overstays, British passport types, passport validity and the Brunei exception)
• U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom, ESTA FAQs (a denied ESTA means you must apply for a visa; CBP cannot give reasons for denial; DHS TRIP redress is not guaranteed to resolve it)
• U.S. Department of State, travel.state.gov (where to apply for a US visitor visa)