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Do I have to pay the ESTA fee as a Swiss citizen?

Yes, the United States Travel Promotion Act of 2009 imposes an ESTA fee. The fee charged by most websites is divided into two parts:

  • Processing Fee: All travelers applying for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization usually pay an initial fee to cover the cost of processing and submitting the ESTA application. The fee also applies to Swiss citizens. The processing fee varies depending on the website the applicant utilizes to submit the application.
  • Government Fee: There is a mandatory U.S. government fee of USD 21 which is included in the total price.

The mandatory U.S. government fee and the processing fee are charged at the same time and must be paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard).

If your application is approved and you are granted permission to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, your ESTA US will be valid for 2 years.

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As a Swiss, how do I cover the ESTA Fee?

You can pay all ESTA fees with a valid credit or debit card. Visa and Mastercard are accepted. If you pay with an invalid or expired credit card, your application will be rejected.

It is not necessary for you to pay for your own ESTA application form. travel agents, processing agencies, friends, or family members may be able to assist you. They must, however, specify for whom they are paying the application cost.

Can I cover multiple ESTA fee with a single payment method?

Yes. You can pay with a single payment for several applications like groups, families, or companies as long as they are being submitted together. Applicants do not need to be traveling together once the system approves their application.

Nonetheless, every family member or individual planning to travel in the group should complete their ESTA application form individually. This can be done by clicking “Add Individual” and letting each traveler fill out their own data fields before submitting. When you finish filling out all data fields for all individuals, you can make a single payment.

Payments to ESTA Visa need a credit card or a PayPal account. Note that once the system approves the group application, it will request a single point of contact and generate an automatic application ID with which the group can check the status of their joint application. The point of contact can also request for the system to send the application ID to the specified email address.

How many ESTA application forms can I submit with a single payment?
You can submit a total of fifty ESTA applications with just a single payment. It’s not required for all applicants to travel together, even if their applications are submitted simultaneously.

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Is the ESTA fee payment with a credit card secure?

Yes. After the purchase has been validated, the ESTA system or Pay.gov does not save your credit card information. If you are using a third-party service, determine whether the company has a secure website and uses the well-known security certificate SSL. While logged in to Pay.gov, your transaction information is protected with 128-bit SSL encryption.

Any account numbers you enter in your profile are also encrypted before being recorded in the database. When you access your profile, any account numbers you’ve registered will be hidden on the screen; every account number in your profile will be displayed as a cluster of asterisks accompanied by the account’s final four digits.

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Do other countries charge entry/exit fees for traveling?

Yes. At least 56 countries ask to pay fees for entry, exit, visa waivers, and other types of travel. The cost of a visa waiver and travel authorization application can range from $10 to $150, depending on the traveler’s destination country and nationality. Even nations with no travel authorization enabling passengers to enter without a visa have some hidden fees for travelers. These expenses are frequently part of the airline ticket price.

Countries like Canada and Australia have travel authorization forms similar to the United States. For example, an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Canada costs roughly $7, whereas an ETA for Australia costs more than $20. The Schengen area of the European Union is also setting up the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which will function similarly to ESTA. The European ETIAS system is scheduled to go live in 2023.

Does my child need to pay for ESTA?

Yes. The cost of an ESTA application for children is the same as it is for adults. Individual ESTA applications and fees are required for both accompanied and unaccompanied minors traveling to the US. Children cannot, however, apply for ESTA on their own. Parents or legal guardians should fill out the ESTA application for minors. If you are 16 or older, you can submit your own application and pay the ESTA payments yourself.

How much is the ESTA fee?

The fee charged by most websites is divided into two parts:

  • Processing Fee: All travelers applying for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization usually pay an initial fee to cover the cost of processing and submitting the ESTA application. The fee also applies to Swiss citizens. The processing fee varies depending on the website the applicant utilizes to submit the application.
  • Government Fee: There is a mandatory U.S. government fee of USD 21 which is included in the total price.

The mandatory U.S. government fee and the processing fee are charged at the same time and must be paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard).

If your application is approved and you are granted permission to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, your ESTA will be valid for 2 years.