USA Entry Requirements 2026: ESTA Officially for $40.62 – Don’t Pay €100 to a Middleman

You’ve seen it in a hundred films: the Manhattan skyline appears in the plane window, the Hudson glitters below, and somewhere down there your first pizza slice is waiting on a street corner in Brooklyn. Between that moment and actually arriving stand just two things: an officer at passport control and a form you filled in on your sofa weeks earlier. Whether you pay 40 dollars for it or three times as much comes down to a single click on Google.

That’s exactly where a lot of money disappears every year. Search for “apply for ESTA” and the first results are often sites that look official – flag, eagle, countdown timer – and charge double or triple. Legally it’s usually not fraud but a “service” that gives you nothing except a bigger bill. We pulled together every rule for entering the USA in 2026 straight from the official sources: US Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Register and the German Federal Foreign Office. No fluff, every trap, and a checklist to tick off.

USA entry requirements 2026 at a glance

What is the ESTA – and do I really need it?

ESTA stands for “Electronic System for Travel Authorization”. It isn’t a visa but an electronic pre-screening for citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries, which include Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the UK. Without an approved ESTA, your airline won’t even let you board in Vienna, Frankfurt or London. That also applies if you’re only changing planes in the US, for example on the way to Mexico or the Caribbean: transit is a permitted ESTA purpose, but it needs an ESTA.

According to CBP, holidays, business trips (meetings, trade fairs, negotiations) and transit are allowed. Not allowed: working, studying, working as a foreign journalist, extending your stay on the spot or changing your immigration status. If that’s your plan, or you want to stay longer than 90 days, you need a visa (more on that below).

One thing to know: even an approved ESTA is not a guarantee of entry. The final decision is made by the CBP officer at the airport. If you answered honestly and can name your return flight and accommodation, that’s usually a relaxed conversation.

USA entry requirements: what the ESTA really costs in 2026

The fee has changed several times in a short period, which is why different numbers are floating around online. According to the Federal Register, this is how it developed:

• until 29 Sep 2025: US$21
• from 30 Sep 2025: US$40 (the “One Big Beautiful Bill” law, H.R. 1)
• from 1 Jan 2026: US$40.27 (inflation adjustment)
• from 16 Oct 2026: US$40.62 (inflation adjustment for US fiscal year 2027)

The US$40.62 is made up of a US$10.62 processing fee, charged on every application, plus US$30 that is only added if you’re approved. So if you’re refused, you pay just US$10.62 – and you don’t get that back. Since the 2025 law, the fee is adjusted for inflation every year, so expect it to keep creeping up in small steps.

For a family of four, the official ESTA cost is therefore around US$162 – for two years. Every child needs their own ESTA, babies included. If you already hold a valid ESTA approved before 16 October 2026, you don’t pay anything extra: the fee applies per application.

Your card statement will show the amount in US dollars. Whether your bank adds a foreign transaction fee depends on your card. With a card without foreign fees, for example from Wise, you pay the real exchange rate.

The biggest trap: ESTA through middleman websites

Type “ESTA application” into Google and you’ll quickly see why so many people overpay. Many sites look like government pages, have “esta” in the domain and forms that look deceptively like the original. In the end, the ESTA costs much more there. As early as 2018, the European Consumer Centre Austria documented a provider charging US$88 when the official fee was US$14. In July 2025, the Austrian tech site futurezone.at reported middlemen charging “more than 100 euros”. In October 2026, the consumer centre of the German state of Brandenburg again warned about scams with travel authorisations.

The US authority itself is crystal clear. Its official FAQ says, in essence: third-party websites charge a fee to submit your application, and CBP cannot refund the money you paid to a third-party website. The middleman ends up filling in exactly the same form as you would – just slower and more expensively.

How to recognise the official ESTA website

• The address ends in .gov: exactly esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Anything else (.com, .org, .us, .co.uk, .de) is not official.
• The price is exactly US$40.62 – no “service charge”, no “express surcharge”, no price in euros or pounds.
• No ads: never click the paid results at the very top of Google. Type the address yourself or go via your foreign ministry’s travel advice page, which links directly to the official site.
• The official app is called “ESTA Mobile” and is published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Apps from other publishers with similar names are not official.

Already fallen for it? Use your application number on esta.cbp.dhs.gov under “Check ESTA Status” to see whether an application was actually submitted. After that, you can contact your card issuer and a consumer protection body. There’s no guarantee you’ll get the money back.

How to apply for an ESTA step by step on the official site

1. Have your passport ready: you need an electronic passport with a chip (symbol on the cover). Enter the details exactly as they appear in the passport.
2. Go to esta.cbp.dhs.gov or open the “ESTA Mobile” app and choose “Apply for a New ESTA” – as an individual or group application (handy for families).
3. Fill in your details: personal data, contact details, employer, emergency contact, parents, travel plans (address of your first accommodation in the US, if known).
4. Answer the eligibility questions honestly – about criminal records, illnesses, previous visa refusals and travel to certain countries. False answers can exclude you from ESTA permanently.
5. Social media: according to the official FAQ, the question about your social media accounts is currently (8 Nov 2026) optional. CBP says leaving it blank has no negative consequences. More on this below.
6. Pay: US$40.62 by credit or debit card. Exactly that amount, no more.
7. Note your application number and check the status. Possible results are “Authorization Approved”, “Travel Not Authorized” or “Authorization Pending”. According to CBP, pending is not a negative result – it just means the check isn’t finished yet.
8. Save the confirmation: you don’t need to print it, the airline sees the approval in the system. A screenshot on your phone is still reassuring.

Many applications are decided quickly, but there’s no official promise on how long it takes. That’s why CBP advises applying as soon as you book your flight and no later than 72 hours before departure. If you’re refused, you’ll need a visa – and embassy appointments don’t appear overnight.

New rules 2026: social media, app-only, selfie – what actually applies?

Since December 2025 you can read everywhere that “5 years of social media” will soon be mandatory for entering the USA. What’s behind it? On 10 December 2025, CBP published a proposal in the Federal Register: mandatory social media accounts for the last five years, phone numbers for five years, email addresses for ten years, family members’ details, photo metadata and biometric data – and applications only via the app. The public consultation closed on 9 February 2026.

As of 8 November 2026: on the official ESTA website the social media question is still marked as optional, and new applications are still possible via the website. We have not found any official notice that the stricter mandatory fields have come into force. Because this can change at any time, the rule is: take a quick look at the official FAQ on esta.cbp.dhs.gov before you apply. What it says there counts – not what forums or middleman websites claim.

The official site also has a photo step built in: you upload a current photo (selfie), which must not be identical to your passport photo. Whether and since when this is mandatory for every web application isn’t clearly documented officially. Simply follow the steps in the form.

Passport, children and who can’t get an ESTA

Which passport?

For the ESTA you need an electronic passport with a chip and a machine-readable zone – this also applies to emergency and temporary passports. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, entry with a German temporary passport is only possible with a visa, not with an ESTA. A national ID card is never enough for the USA. As the ESTA ends with your passport, check the expiry date before paying US$40.62: if your passport expires in six months, your ESTA only lasts six months too.

When do I need a new ESTA?

• with a new passport
• after a change of name (for example after marriage)
• if you change citizenship
• if your answers to the eligibility questions have changed

Children

Every child needs their own electronic passport and their own ESTA, babies included. The easiest way is the group application on the official site: one person fills it in for everyone and pays in one step. For Florida and Orlando with kids, see our Florida travel report.

Who can’t get an ESTA

You can’t get an ESTA if you have been to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since 1 March 2011 – exceptions only for government and military personnel on duty. For Cuba, CBP points mainly to the period since 12 January 2021. Dual nationals of Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria or Sudan are also excluded, according to the German Federal Foreign Office. If this applies to you, you can still travel to the US – but you need a regular visa.

When the ESTA isn’t enough: the B1/B2 visa

For longer trips, for anyone excluded from ESTA and after an ESTA refusal, the route is the B1/B2 visitor visa at the US embassy. According to the Federal Register, the application fee is US$185. Expect an online form, an appointment and a personal interview, and allow weeks to months. The much-reported US$250 Visa Integrity Fee applies by law only to visas – not to ESTA travellers.

Entering the USA via Canada or Mexico

Driving a rental car from Vancouver to Seattle, taking the bus from Toronto to New York or walking from Tijuana to San Diego? Since 2022, Visa Waiver Program travellers need a valid ESTA at land borders too; the paper I-94W form no longer exists. Since 30 September 2025, there’s also an I-94 fee of US$30 at land borders (previously US$6). According to the Federal Register, it stays at US$30 in fiscal year 2027.

On arrival: how passport control works

1. Keep your passport handy – not in your suitcase.
2. Fingerprints and photo: biometric data is taken on entry.
3. Short questions: purpose of the trip, length of stay, first accommodation. Answer calmly and honestly, and have your hotel address ready.
4. Customs: declare food such as sausage, cheese, fruit or vegetables, or better, don’t bring it at all. Undeclared food can get expensive.
5. After the checks: the same rule as with the ESTA applies to getting into town – use official options instead of touts in the arrivals hall. For New York, see our post New York: Dumbo & Brooklyn Bridge.

Checklist: entering the USA stress-free

• Electronic passport with chip for every traveller, expiry date checked
• ESTA applied for only on esta.cbp.dhs.gov or in the “ESTA Mobile” app
• Paid exactly US$40.62 per person, no service fee
• Applied at least 72 hours before departure, ideally when booking the flight
• Status “Authorization Approved” checked, application number and screenshot saved
• Return or onward flight booked, address of first accommodation noted
• Travelling via Canada/Mexico: ESTA plus US$30 for the I-94 at the land border
• Travel medical insurance taken out
• No undeclared sausage, cheese or fruit in your luggage
• Card without foreign transaction fees packed

FAQ: USA entry requirements and ESTA

How much does the ESTA cost in 2026?

Since 16 October 2026, exactly US$40.62 per person on the official site esta.cbp.dhs.gov. If refused, only US$10.62 is charged.

How long is the ESTA valid?

Two years from approval or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. During that time you can make several trips of up to 90 days each.

How far in advance do I need to apply for the ESTA?

CBP recommends applying when you book your trip, and no later than 72 hours before departure.

Can I enter the USA with a national ID card?

No. You need an electronic passport with a chip.

Do I have to list my social media accounts?

According to the official ESTA FAQ, this is currently (8 Nov 2026) optional. A requirement was proposed in December 2025 but, as far as we can tell, has not come into force. Check the FAQ on esta.cbp.dhs.gov before applying.

Do I need a new ESTA now that the fee has gone up?

No. A valid, approved ESTA stays valid. The fee only applies to a new application.

I paid much more on another site – is my ESTA valid?

Possibly yes, if the middleman submitted the application. Check with your application number on esta.cbp.dhs.gov. According to its own FAQ, CBP does not refund the extra charge.

What if my ESTA is refused?

Then you need a B1/B2 visa from the US embassy (fee US$185). The refusal can’t be challenged in court. Allow enough time for an appointment.

Do I need an ESTA just to change planes in the USA?

Yes. Transit through a US airport also requires an ESTA or a visa.

Do I need an ESTA if I drive in from Canada?

Yes, at land borders too since 2022 – plus a US$30 I-94 fee at the border.

Sources (as of 8 Nov 2026)

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection – official ESTA website and FAQ: esta.cbp.dhs.gov/faq
• Federal Register FR Doc. 2026-20185 – FY 2027 inflation adjustments (ESTA US$40.62 from 16 Oct 2026, I-94 US$30)
• Federal Register FR Doc. 2025-16453, 28 Aug 2025 – CBP fees required by H.R. 1 (ESTA US$40 from 30 Sep 2025)
• Federal Register FR Doc. 2025-20304, 19 Nov 2025 – ESTA US$40.27 from 1 Jan 2026
• Federal Register FR Doc. 2025-22461, 10 Dec 2025 – proposed changes to the ESTA application (social media, app)
• Federal Register, 9 Jun 2026 – US State Department schedule of fees (B1/B2 visa US$185)
• German Federal Foreign Office – USA travel and safety advice, entry section (checked 8 Nov 2026)
• Austrian Foreign Ministry (BMEIA) – travel information USA
• CBP Buffalo – ESTA requirement at land borders since 2022
• European Consumer Centre Austria (Europakonsument) – ETA and ESTA scams; futurezone.at, 23 Jul 2025; travelbook.de / Verbraucherzentrale Brandenburg, 14 Oct 2026

Want more? Read our report New York: Dumbo & Brooklyn Bridge, the Los Angeles road trip, Where to stay in Orlando – or browse all destinations and guides.