As of November 2026, the US ESTA fee is $40.27 if your application is approved and $10.27 if it is denied. Both USAGov and the US Embassy in Singapore list these amounts as effective from January 1, 2026. Apply only on the official site (esta.cbp.dhs.gov) or the official ESTA app, and finish at least 72 hours before you board. An approval normally covers multiple trips for two years, but a new passport means a new application regardless of how much time is left.
This guide is for citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries planning a short tourist or business trip. It covers how the fee is split, the application steps, how to avoid costly typos and copycat sites, the four situations that require a fresh ESTA, and what to do after a denial.
Who needs an ESTA, and who doesn't
ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, is the online pre-screening that VWP citizens complete before traveling to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less. CBP's FAQ is explicit that an approved ESTA is not a visa, and it cannot replace one when US law requires a visa for your purpose of travel.
A few rules catch people out:
- Every child needs their own ESTA. Accompanied or not, and regardless of age. A parent, relative or travel agent can fill in and submit the application for them.
- Transit counts. If you are only changing planes in the US on the way to another country, you still need an ESTA or a visa. CBP asks transit travelers to write "In Transit" and their final destination in the US address section.
- Land borders count too. According to the US Embassy in the UK, since October 1, 2022 VWP travelers need an approved ESTA before arriving at a land port of entry from Canada or Mexico, and CBP encourages applying at least 72 hours ahead.
- US territories are included. CBP's definition covers the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.
If you already hold a valid US visa and are traveling for the purpose it was issued for, you do not need an ESTA. VWP travel also requires a return or onward ticket and arrival on a carrier that has signed up to the program.
Your passport must have a machine-readable zone on the photo page and an embedded biometric chip, which is the e-passport standard that has applied to all VWP travelers since April 1, 2016. Separately, USAGov notes that visitors generally need a passport valid for six months beyond their planned departure, although CBP publishes a list of countries exempt from that rule.
How the $40.27 fee breaks down
The ESTA fee has two parts. The UK embassy explains that from the September 30, 2025 system update, every applicant pays a $10 processing fee, and approved applicants are charged an additional $30 authorization fee, 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.
That structure comes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress in 2025, which created the $13 General Fund fee and raised the operational portion from $4 to $10. The $17 travel promotion fee did not change. Adding those parts up, the old total was $21 ($4 + $17) and the new one became $40.
From January 1, 2026, the published amounts became $40.27 for an approval and $10.27 for a denial. Because a denied application is charged only the processing fee, that means the processing portion is now $10.27 while the $30 authorization fee stayed the same.
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| Component | Amount | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Processing fee | $10.27 | Every application |
| Authorization fee | $30 | Only if approved |
| Total if approved | $40.27 | From January 1, 2026 |
Check the final figure on the official payment screen. CBP is not responsible for extra charges your card issuer or PayPal may add for an international transaction.
Apply on the official site at least 72 hours before boarding
You can apply at any time. US embassies recommend doing it as soon as you start planning, ideally before you buy flights, and no later than 72 hours before boarding. Most decisions arrive within 72 hours, but some take longer, and a denial after you have booked non-refundable fares can force you into a full visa application.
- Check your passport. Confirm it is an e-passport and valid for your trip.
- Go to the official source. Type esta.cbp.dhs.gov directly into your browser or download the official ESTA app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enter your details in English. CBP asks for biographical data such as your name, date of birth and passport details, plus answers to eligibility questions about communicable diseases, certain arrests and convictions, and any past visa revocation or deportation.
- Review, then pay. The site shows a full summary before submission. Compare it against your passport photo page.
- Save your application number. You need it to check your status later.
You are not required to carry a printout, because DHS sends your ESTA status to the airline. CBP still recommends saving the response so you have your application number. Once you close the browser, you can retrieve only the status, not the full application.
Avoid uneditable typos and copycat sites
Before you pay, you can correct almost any field. The exceptions, per the UK embassy, are passport number, passport issuing country, country of citizenship and date of birth. If any of those are wrong, you must file a new application and pay again, so it pays to check them character by character.
Search results often show paid "ESTA application" services above the government site. CBP says these services do not speed up approval and are not affiliated with the US government. If you were charged more than about $40, you probably went through one. The embassy advises entering your application number on the official site to confirm the application exists, because inaccurate data passed on by a third party could cause trouble at check-in or on arrival. CBP cannot refund what you paid the third party.
A simple test is whether the address ends in .gov. For questions, the Singapore embassy lists CBP's ESTA support line, +1 (202) 325-8000, staffed 24/7 except on US federal holidays.
The four cases that require a new ESTA, and how long it lasts
An approval is generally valid for two years from the approval date or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, and it covers multiple trips in that window. The approval screen shows the exact expiry date, so keep a copy.
Two years of validity is not two years of stay. Each visit under the VWP is limited to 90 days or less. Longer stays need a visa obtained from a US embassy or consulate outside the United States.
CBP says you must apply again, even with time left on your current approval, if:
- You are issued a new passport.
- You change your name.
- Your country of citizenship changes.
- The facts behind any of your yes/no eligibility answers change.
If you hold more than one passport, you need an ESTA for the specific passport you will travel on. Each new application carries the full fee, so if a passport renewal is coming up, renew first and apply for the ESTA afterwards.
If you're denied, and what happens at the border
A denial does not ban you from the US. CBP says travelers who still want to go must apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a US embassy or consulate. Embassies cannot explain or overturn an ESTA denial; they can only process the visa. The ESTA site links to the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP), but CBP states there is no guarantee that redress will resolve the issue behind a denial.
Approval is also not a guarantee of entry. The UK embassy notes that ESTA does not determine admissibility; a CBP officer decides that when you arrive. Travelers without an ESTA may be denied boarding, face delays or be refused admission.
On arrival you are issued an electronic I-94 recording your entry and exit dates, which USAGov says you can check on the official I-94 website. Before you fly, run through this list:
- Your ESTA shows as approved on the official site and expires after your return date.
- The passport you are carrying is the one the ESTA was issued for.
- You have a return or onward ticket.
- Every child in your group has their own approval.
