ESTA Charge ($14!) & Date Confirmed

[tashasmum]

They will start charging and it's one of the reasons I will not be flying into America next year. I'm fed up with airports in general, and flying into America is a miserable experience. Immigration, miserable luggage allowances, cramped airline seats, poor airline food, the list goes on!

Next year we are doing a two week Med cruise, leaving from Southampton with an unlimited luggage allowance.

DD is going on a cruise next year around the med with her friend and family, better not tell her the luggage is unlimited. Is it wih Royal Carribean?

 

[scottishgirl87]

DD is going on a cruise next year around the med with her friend and family, better not tell her the luggage is unlimited. Is it wih Royal Carribean?

I think DCLMan means you can take as much luggage as you want on a cruise

Only problem is finding space for it all

 

[Mpet]

Yes this is annoying - but expected. However this is quite good value as it covers as many trips you make in a 2 year period.

There are a lot of countries where you have to pay to enter - Egypt & Turkey come to mind and a lot where you have to pay to get out! - Grenada & Tobago are ones I've had recent experience of. All these countries you are charged for the trip only. Put in an ESTA before Spetemmber and you don't have to worry for the next 2 years

 

[2Tiggies]

In my measuring life by bottles of wine way, $14 each = $56 for our family of 4, which is approximately £32, which is 6 or 7 bottles of wine!

Measuring in bottles is good. Measuring in wine is better. Fortunately our ESTAs equate to only 3 or 4 bottles. Still, wine is wine.

 

[kristieuk]

What to do? DS passport needs to be renewed but only lasts for 5 yrs at £49 Not flying out til May next year so not much difference in paying $14 now and 'wasting' 8 months of passport allocation??? or renewing passport ealry and 'saving' on the ESTA fee!!

I think I am doing the maths correctly - if you renew a passport, you can carry over up to 9 months unexpired time from the old passport, so in effect the new passport is valid for 5 yrs and 9 months. If you apply now you should get it before the ESTA date in September and therefore save the $. Unless you mean that the other passport has already lapsed and you were leaving a gap before applying?

 

[DCLMan]

DD is going on a cruise next year around the med with her friend and family, better not tell her the luggage is unlimited. Is it wih Royal Carribean?

No, Princess

 

[scottishgirl87]

I think I am doing the maths correctly - if you renew a passport, you can carry over up to 9 months unexpired time from the old passport, so in effect the new passport is valid for 5 yrs and 9 months. If you apply now you should get it before the ESTA date in September and therefore save the $. Unless you mean that the other passport has already lapsed and you were leaving a gap before applying?

Yup I'm pretty sure it's 9 months you can carry over as well

Just checked my own passport and it's 4 months at least as I renewed mine in April 2008 and it's valid until August 2018 as I had months left on my old one.

 

[disneyholic family]

well at least you don't have to pay the $140 for a visa that people pay from countries not in the visa-waiver program.

which is why when you're an american who holds multiple passports and you apply for a visa to a non-visa waiver country, it is almost always much cheaper to apply using your non-american passport (since those countries match the US fee on their visas to americans)

 

[Pegasus928]

(since those countries match the US fee on their visas to americans)

Sounds fair to me. I think that it's something that this country should be considering (if we don't do it already ) Any new money coming in would be good for our recovery

 

[Pegasus928]

Just bumping this as a reminder to those who may need to get it done.
Only a couple of weeks left before they start charging us

 

[jackieleanne]

Thanks for the reminder better get mine and bf's done this week.

We are going Nov/Dec and then again next aug/september but staying in seperate Disney accomadation? Am I right in thinking that we just need to do the one application as within a 2 year period and then just amend accomadation after our Nov/Dec holiday.

Thanks

 

[Pegasus928]

Thanks for the reminder better get mine and bf's done this week.

We are going Nov/Dec and then again next aug/september but staying in seperate Disney accomadation? Am I right in thinking that we just need to do the one application as within a 2 year period and then just amend accomadation after our Nov/Dec holiday.

Thanks

Yes thats right.

At the moment the information regarding where you are staying is voluntary anyway - so you won't even need to ammend it before going next year.

 

[jackieleanne]

Yes thats right.

At the moment the information regarding where you are staying is voluntary anyway - so you won't even need to ammend it before going next year.

Brilliant thanks.

I will remember to get doing those tonight.

 

[2Tiggies]

Yes thats right.

At the moment the information regarding where you are staying is voluntary anyway - so you won't even need to ammend it before going next year.

Is that expected to change so that it becomes mandatory?

 

[Pegasus928]

Yes thats right.

At the moment the information regarding where you are staying is voluntary anyway - so you won't even need to ammend it before going next year.

Is that expected to change so that it becomes mandatory?

I have no idea

Once the charge becomes applicable I will follow the process through to see if the link at the top of the UKTP is still relevant and accurate.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if their were a few changes to the terms and conditions as they stand now - for example they could make the address mandatory, then insist on a new ESTA if you travel to a different address.
Or maybe that's just the cynic in me coming out

 

[martinrmn]

I do not like having to pay for visa's for any country. You would think with the US that the amount of money tourists generate anyway would be more than enough to offset their costs. Does the UK charge a similar fee? If not the government should. Yes its only $14 but for 3 plus people it can add up if you are on a budget. We travel to US every 2 years, money allowing. Next year we will consider elsewhere.

 

[2Tiggies]

Yes its only $14 but for 3 plus people it can add up if you are on a budget.

I have friends who have 5 kids. When my friend fell pregnant again, she told me that's the end of faraway holidays for the. They are American, although they live in Scotland, so the ESTAs wouldn't be an issue, but large families do exist and as you say, it adds up.

 

[ZADS]

Trying to do my visa this last 12 hours and application page has been down for maintenance... Anyone else experiencing same thing?... Trying to get in before the fee begins!

 

[2Tiggies]

Trying to do my visa this last 12 hours and application page has been down for maintenance... Anyone else experiencing same thing?... Trying to get in before the fee begins!

I think there has been a lot of strain on the system. It is possible that if you can get it sorted this morning you may avoid the fee. I am not sure at what time they are considering it to be 'today'. I doubt it was midnight (I see you have been up all night )

 

[cliveywolves]

The charge is now on the ESTA site $14 payable by credit card only....

Managed to get ours done last night took us about 3 hours it was a n'mare but our own fault for leaving it till the last day..!