Hurry! Save $14 before going to the US

European travellers to the US will have to pay an extra $14 from next month for an electronic visa. The visa, known as an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), has been compulsory since January last year.

At present, ESTAs are free, but from 8 September, the US will start charging $14, or around €10.50 based on current exchange rates. The $14 fee consists of a $4 charge for using the ESTA system and a $10 charge to enter the US under the Travel Promotion Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in March.

The European Commission said that it very much regretted the decision to charge $14 to enter the US. "I have repeatedly raised concerns about the introduction of this fee," Cecilia Malmström, the European commissioner for home affairs, wrote on her blog.

At the moment, travellers from 36 countries — 23 of them EU member states — are allowed to visit the US without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism or business. US citizens have equivalent visa-free access to the whole of the EU.