US Plans Stricter ESTA Rules With Mandatory Social Media Checks

If you use the Visa Waiver Program to visit the United States, there is a major update coming your way. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is planning to collect much more information from travellers who apply for ESTA. The proposal appears in a public notice and will open for comments for 60 days once it is published in the Federal Register.

US May Tighten ESTA Rules

CBP wants to expand what applicants must share. The biggest shift is that social media information will now be required, not optional. Travellers will need to list all social media accounts used in the past five years.

The agency also plans to ask for more detailed personal and family information. Many of these questions will look back five or even ten years.

The New Details CBP Wants

According to the notice, ESTA may soon ask for:

• Social media handles from the past five years
• All telephone numbers used in the past five years
• Email addresses used in the past ten years
• IP addresses and photo metadata
• Names, birth details, phone numbers, and past residences of close family members
• Biometrics such as face, fingerprints, DNA, and iris data
• Work phone numbers from the past five years
• Work email addresses from the past ten years

New Photo Rule

Right now, the ESTA website does not always require a separate face photo. CBP plans to change that. Every applicant will need to upload a clear photo of their face along with their passport image.

ESTA Website Will Eventually Close for Applications

Another big shift is how people apply. CBP plans to phase out the ESTA website for submitting applications. Travellers will need to use the ESTA Mobile App instead. The website will remain only for checking your ESTA status and reading program information.

CBP says the mobile app is easier to update and offers better technology than the website.

Optional Way to Record Your Departure

Separately, CBP is developing a tool in its CBP Home app that lets foreign visitors confirm their departure from the United States. If someone chooses to use it, they must upload a live facial photo.

The app will then use location data to confirm they are outside the country. If everything matches, CBP will mark the person as having officially departed.

US ESTA Fee Hike

There’s also a small price change coming for anyone using the Visa Waiver Program. From January 2026, the ESTA fee will rise to 40.27 dollars instead of 40. It’s a small inflation adjustment, according to CBP.

This comes not long after a much bigger jump. Just last year, the fee increased from 21 dollars to 40 when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act took effect.

What to Expect Next

It is worth noting here that none of these changes will take effect right away. CBP will look over public comments for 60 days before making any final decisions. Still, travellers should prepare for a more detailed ESTA process soon, especially those who frequently visit the United States.