ESTA Fee To Increase From $21 To $40

The cost of an ESTA will almost double starting later this year.

Image: © Mickey From The UK

Travel News Published 1st September 2025, 12:52pm BST by Ash Hales

Following a passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (PL 119-21) earlier in the summer, it mentioned an increase to the cost of ESTA's could be coming, and this week, that price increase has been announced. The official ESTA FAQ states the fee for travellers intending to travel to the United States with an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will increase from $21 to $40. The price increase will take effect starting September 30th, 2025. You can apply (and pay) for an ESTA at the current rate of $21 before that date.

The ESTA application fee is now made up of three parts, the travel promotion fee, the operational fee, and the Treasury General Fund fee. Congress, through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (PL 119-21), added the Treasury General Fund fee of no less than $13 and increased the operational fee portion of the ESTA application fee from $4 to no less than $10. The $17 travel promotion fee portion of the ESTA application has not increased.

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About the author

Ash Hales

Founder, Mickey From The UK

Ash Hales is a British Disney Parks writer and the voice behind Mickey From The UK. Based in the South West of England, he's been visiting Disney Parks for nearly three decades and launched Mickey From The UK in 2017 to provide honest, straight-talking news and advice for UK guests - without the American bias.