Since January 2009, Britons have had to get permission in advance to enter the USA under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) scheme. Launched last year, the US Authorities have, up to now, taken a charitable view to those travellers not using this system.  But not now. This ‘honeymoon’ period is over with ESTA becoming mandatory from Wednesday 20th January 2010. British passengers travelling to America will definitely be refused entry unless they have completed an electronic approval form before departure.

The ESTA scheme replaces the old arrangement whereby passengers needed to fill out a green card to enter the USA. It applies to all 35 countries that enjoy visa waiver status. An approved ESTA is valid for two years and can be used for multiple entries into the USA. Both British Airways and American Airlines have given warning that they will not accept any passengers who have not been approved through the scheme and advised that travellers fill out the online form at least 72 hours before departure. ESTA applications can be made at the following ESTA website.

It is free to apply for an ESTA, although that is likely to change. The US Senate voted in September 2009 in favour of charging tourists from visa-waiver countries a minimum of $10 (£7) to complete an ESTA and enter the US. The European Union is very critical of such a move.  Although the legislation must still pass through the House of Representatives, tourism officials expect the charges to be introduced in Summer 2010.

This article is brought to you by Travelandinsure.com – specialist in Ethical Travel Insurance.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 17th, 2010 at 5:55 pm and is filed under General Travel Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.