Brits must pay $14 to go on holiday in the USA

From next month, Britons wishing to go on holiday in the USA will have to pay a fee for electronic visas. The electronic visas, which are applied for through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta), were introduced for European travellers in January 2009, and they're currently free. The fee will come into play on 8 September.

Ironically, the fee is being enforced to try to accumulate money to market tourism in the USA. But could the fee actually put people off taking a holiday in the USA?

A visa from Esta last for two years, so it could be used for multiple trips if you travel to the States regularly. British holidaymakers are being advised to apply for their visa now to avoid paying the $14 fee. So even if you're planning a holiday in the USA for next year, it would be worth applying for it now because it would still be valid when you come to use it.

Roughly 4 million Brits visit the USA every year, so the visas would bring in a tidy sum. Out of the $14, $4 will be used to cover costs while $10 would go towards the cost of marketing the USA as a holiday destination.

Travellers to the States already have to pay various other charges to enter the country. There's a customs user fee of $2.70, an immigration fee of $3.50 and an animal and plant health inspection services user fee of $2.50.

The European Union has slammed the decision to introduce a fee, claiming that it could put people off going holiday in the USA.

Visas with Esta can be applied for online, and once you have received your approval reference number, you must submit it to the airline 72 hours prior to departure.

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