DHS adjusted the ESTA fee for inflation for fiscal year 2027: $40.62 per travel authorization from 16 October 2026 ($17 travel promotion + $10.62 operations cost recovery + $13 surcharge), up from $40.27. A denied application is charged $10.62. The law behind it (HR-1) requires this adjustment every fiscal year, so expect a new figure each autumn.
The official ETIAS site no longer shows a launch window. The EU currently publishes no launch date and has committed only to announcing one several months in advance. ETIAS is not open and no applications are being collected — any website offering to file one today is not legitimate.
A temporary US government program running from July to December 2026 offers a $750 expedited B1/B2 interview appointment. It is optional and does not replace the non-refundable $185 MRV application fee, which is still paid directly to the U.S. government when you book your interview.
The biometric Entry/Exit System's progressive rollout, which began on 12 October 2025, reaches its scheduled completion date. Non-EU visitors are now registered with fingerprints and a facial image in place of passport stamps at the Schengen Area's external borders. ETIAS, which builds on EES, remains unlaunched.
The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation costs £20 per application from 8 April 2026, up from £16 (the scheme launched at £10). Every traveller, including children and babies, needs their own ETA. A website still quoting £16 is out of date.
Since 25 February 2026 the ETA requirement is strictly enforced. Airlines, Eurostar and ferry operators must refuse boarding to visa-exempt travellers who do not hold an approved ETA. Apply before you book — approval is not automatic and there is no room for error at the gate any more.
Presidential Proclamation 10998 suspends US visitor visas for nationals of 38 countries from 1 January 2026: entry is fully suspended for 19 of them (Haiti, Iran and Syria among them) and partially, B1/B2 included, for 19 more (Nigeria, Venezuela and Cuba among them). Visas issued before that date are not revoked, and a dual national travelling on another country's passport is not affected. Turkmenistan's visitor-visa suspension was lifted.
DHS adjusted the ESTA fee for inflation: $40.27 per travel authorization from 1 January 2026 ($17 travel promotion + $10.27 processing + $13 surcharge), up from $40. A denied application is charged $10.27. The law behind the 2025 increase (HR-1) requires an inflation adjustment every fiscal year.
The EU's biometric Entry/Exit System began operating on 12 October 2025, phasing in across border crossings over six months. It registers non-EU travellers' fingerprints and facial image in place of passport stamps and tracks the 90/180-day limit automatically. There is nothing to apply for in advance.
The US ESTA government fee is $40 per application, up from $21, since September 2025. Every traveller needs their own ESTA, including infants. An ESTA cannot be renewed: when it expires, or when you get a new passport, you file a new application and pay the fee again.
From 2 April 2025 European visa-exempt nationals need an ETA to enter the UK (applications opened 5 March 2025). This completed a rollout that covered Gulf states from November 2023 and all other non-European visa-free nationalities from 8 January 2025. Irish citizens do not need one.
The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, paid together with the NZeTA, rose from NZ$35 to NZ$100 per person on 1 October 2024. With the NZ$23 web fee, an NZeTA now costs NZ$123 in total; neither part is refunded if the request is declined.