New fee when visiting the USA

The European Commission has expressed its regret at the announcement by the U.S. authorities that, as from now, all visitors to the United States from EU countries who do not require a visa will be charged a fee of €14 (about €11). This applies to all EU member states except Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection announced that it would levy this fee, whose income will provide a fund to promote tourism, to those seeking a travel authorization to the United States through the Electronic System Travel Authorization (ESTA).

From the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website:

International travelers who are seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are now subject to enhanced security requirements and will be required to pay an administrative fee. All eligible travelers who wish to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization and then pay the fee using the following process:

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