Visa Free Travel to U.S. No Longer Free for Europeans
Submitted by Armen Hareyan on 2010-09-12
European travelers
who until know had the right to travel to United States for Free have to shake up their packets as visa free travel is not anymore free because of the new regulations called ESTA.
ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization and as of last Wednesday the right to travel to the United States means paying. The new travel tax to USA will cost $14 dollars.
ESTA regulation will cover 35 countries. Out of those 35 countries 22 are from the European Union. Their citizens are exempt from visa for stay of less than three months. However, since 2009, they must obtain an authorization, by sending a request via the Internet. Now, that authorization, the ESTA will cost money.
The ESTA fee will only apply to those travelers who request an authorization to travel to USA after September 8. A representative of the Department of Homeland Security, told Euronews that more than 26 million travelers have already obtained ESTA and they won't pay the new ESTA fee until their authorization is not expired.
ESTA is valid for two years and may be used for multiple entries. However, vacation tour operators in European Union say they are dissatisfied with this new regulation. Brussels says it will check to see if the new travel tax violates bilateral agreements between EU and the United States.
ESTA travel tax is to promote USA overseas.
Of the 14 dollars the $4 will be used to to manage the administrative costs. The rest will be used to support promoting the United States abroad.
Euronews also reports that if a traveler or a vacationer has a connecting flight in the United States he or she still has to pay the ESTA tax even if person is staying only for two hours. Now, if one is taking his or her entire family on a vacation and has a connecting flight in USA, this means a lot of travel tax pay.
Yet, some travel agencies in Europe say Washington has not done any promotion in the past year. Since 2001 the tourism to the United States has declined. The European News agency doubts if the new travel tax may help the boost tourism and travel to the United States.
Reference: Eueronews
European travelers
who until know had the right to travel to United States for Free have to shake up their packets as visa free travel is not anymore free because of the new regulations called ESTA.ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization and as of last Wednesday the right to travel to the United States means paying. The new travel tax to USA will cost $14 dollars.
ESTA regulation will cover 35 countries. Out of those 35 countries 22 are from the European Union. Their citizens are exempt from visa for stay of less than three months. However, since 2009, they must obtain an authorization, by sending a request via the Internet. Now, that authorization, the ESTA will cost money.
The ESTA fee will only apply to those travelers who request an authorization to travel to USA after September 8. A representative of the Department of Homeland Security, told Euronews that more than 26 million travelers have already obtained ESTA and they won't pay the new ESTA fee until their authorization is not expired.
ESTA is valid for two years and may be used for multiple entries. However, vacation tour operators in European Union say they are dissatisfied with this new regulation. Brussels says it will check to see if the new travel tax violates bilateral agreements between EU and the United States.
ESTA travel tax is to promote USA overseas.
Of the 14 dollars the $4 will be used to to manage the administrative costs. The rest will be used to support promoting the United States abroad.
Euronews also reports that if a traveler or a vacationer has a connecting flight in the United States he or she still has to pay the ESTA tax even if person is staying only for two hours. Now, if one is taking his or her entire family on a vacation and has a connecting flight in USA, this means a lot of travel tax pay.
Yet, some travel agencies in Europe say Washington has not done any promotion in the past year. Since 2001 the tourism to the United States has declined. The European News agency doubts if the new travel tax may help the boost tourism and travel to the United States.
Reference: Eueronews
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