Updated November 3, 2026

ESTA fee 2026: what it costs and what it covers

The ESTA fee is $40.62 per person from October 16, 2026, according to CBP and the Federal Register. It's a $10.62 processing charge plus a $30 authorization charge, made up of a $17 travel promotion fee and a $13 General Fund fee. If your ESTA is denied, you're charged only the $10.62 processing fee.

Below: how the fee got here, what each part pays for, family totals, how to pay, and when you have to apply and pay again. Every number comes from CBP and the Federal Register, fact-checked on November 3, 2026.

What is the ESTA fee in 2026?

From October 16, 2026, the fee for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is $40.62 per applicant. Each traveler coming to the US by air, sea or land under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must have an approved ESTA before traveling.

The fee has risen fast because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21, or HR-1), signed into law on July 4, 2025. HR-1 raised the fee from $21 to $40 on September 30, 2025, and requires the Department of Homeland Security to adjust the cost recovery part of the fee every fiscal year by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

From January 1 to October 15, 2026 (fiscal year 2026), the fee was $40.27. The CPI-U rose 3.36 percent between July 2025 and July 2026 (from 323.048 to 333.918), so CBP raised the cost recovery fee by $0.35, which makes $40.62 for fiscal year 2027 from October 16, 2026.

What does the ESTA fee pay for?

Under INA section 217(h)(3)(B) (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)), as amended by HR-1, the $40.62 is three separate charges. Only the processing part rises with inflation each year. The two authorization charges stay fixed.

• Processing, or system cost recovery ($10.62): paid by every applicant to recover the full cost of running ESTA. This is the part adjusted each year for inflation (it was $10.27 before October 16, 2026).
• Travel promotion fee ($17): charged for each approved travel authorization under 8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)(i)(I).
• General Fund fee ($13): charged for each approved travel authorization under 8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)(B)(i)(III), added by HR-1.

What are you charged if your ESTA is denied?

If your ESTA is denied, you don't pay the full $40.62. CBP charges only the $10.62 processing fee (or $10.27 for applications processed from January 1 to October 15, 2026). The $30 authorization charge, the $17 travel promotion fee plus the $13 General Fund fee, is charged only if your application is approved.

A denied ESTA means you can't travel under the Visa Waiver Program. Our ESTA denied guide covers what to do next.

How much does ESTA cost for a family or group?

Every Visa Waiver Program traveler needs their own ESTA. These totals are our own math from CBP's rates in effect from October 16, 2026:

Next to the $40.27 rate before October 16, 2026, each approved traveler pays $0.35 more, so a family of 4 pays $1.40 more.

Arriving by land? Under HR-1, CBP charges $30 ($6 land border fee plus $24 HR-1 fee) to travelers who must apply for a CBP Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record at a land border port of entry. CBP doesn't charge a Form I-94 fee to travelers arriving at an air or sea port of entry.

How do you pay the ESTA fee?

Your ESTA application isn't submitted for processing until CBP has all your payment information. You pay online by credit card, debit card or PayPal. CBP isn't responsible for extra transaction or foreign exchange fees your card company or PayPal may charge.

• Accepted payment methods: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover (CBP's help page lists JCB and Diners Club with Discover), plus PayPal.
• One application: pay within 7 days of submitting it. After 7 days without payment, you lose access and must submit a new one.
• Group applications: pay for the group within 7 days of submitting the second application in the group. After that, you can't reach the applications or the Group ID, and the Group Point of Contact has to submit them again.

Where do you apply and what do you need?

Apply on CBP's ESTA site at esta.cbp.dhs.gov or in the ESTA Mobile app (search "US ESTA" in the Apple App Store or Google Play).

Avoid ESTA fee sites

CBP's ESTA site lists the fee as $40.62 per person. Before you pay, check that the web address ends in .gov. The ESTA logo is a registered trademark of the Department of Homeland Security, and using it without permission violates trademark law.

CBP estimates the application takes 23 minutes on average and recommends applying when you book your travel. Have this ready so you can pay and submit in one sitting:

• a valid passport from one of the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries
• a selfie photo of the traveler
• your email address, home address and phone number, plus an emergency contact's phone and email
• if they apply: other names or aliases, a national or personal ID number, a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI number, your employer's address and phone, and your US point of contact's name, address and phone
• a payment method for $40.62 per person, within the 7-day window

How long is an ESTA valid, and when do you pay again?

Unless it's revoked, an approved ESTA is valid for 2 years from approval or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. For citizens of Brunei on a Brunei passport, the maximum is 1 year (since July 6, 2023).

While it's valid, you can make several trips without applying or paying again. Each visit is limited to 90 days or less, and there should be a reasonable gap between visits so the CBP officer doesn't think you're living in the US. An approved ESTA only lets you board a carrier to the US under the VWP. A CBP officer makes the admission decision when you arrive, and our ESTA arrival questions guide covers that inspection.

You can update most fields on a valid ESTA for free. You must submit a new application and pay the full fee again if:

• you get a new passport
• you change your first or last name
• you change your country of citizenship
• you need to correct your date of birth or passport details on a submitted application
• your answer to any VWP eligibility question changes (for example, a conviction for a crime of moral turpitude or a contagious disease)

When do you need a US visa instead of an ESTA?

ESTA isn't a visa and can't replace one when US law requires a visa. If you already have a valid US visitor visa, you can travel on it for the purpose it was issued, with no ESTA needed.

You apply for a visa at a US embassy or consulate instead if you aren't a citizen or eligible national of one of the 42 VWP countries: 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, Republic of Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Our free Do I need a US visa? tool checks your case.

You also need a visa to stay longer than 90 days, to travel for something other than short-term business or pleasure, or if a change in your circumstances makes you ineligible for the VWP. For a B-1/B-2 visa, see our guides to documents required for a US visa interview and US visa interview tips.

A question to practice

"What is the purpose of your trip to the United States, and how long will you be staying?"

A strong answer covers: one clear purpose, a stay within the 90-day limit, and the date you're leaving.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security or any government agency.