01.04.2024 - Swiss citizens wishing to travel without a visa to certain countries (e.g. the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and, from 2 April, the UK) need an electronic travel authorisation. We are seeing an increase in private providers offering assistance in applying for such authorisations, but the added value of these services is often questionable and there is a significant risk of fraud. Application processes can be complex, and scammers are taking advantage of this by creating official-looking websites to trick people into giving up their information and money.
Travellers need an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) or Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit certain countries, such as the USA, without a visa. Unfortunately, there are scammers out there who set up deceptively official-looking websites to take advantage of unsuspecting ESTA/ETA applicants by charging excessive processing fees and, in some cases, even using their victims’ personal information to commit identity theft.
The small print
From 2 April, an ETA will also be required to enter the UK. Because of this, we expect to see an increase in dubious websites specifically targeting travellers to the UK. Last week, we were alerted to a website claiming to help travellers apply for a UK ETA and charging a massively inflated fee for the service. On closer inspection, the home page has a disclaimer stating that the site is not actually affiliated with any government agency.
“This website is NOT affiliated with any government agency. Our platform provides step-by-step assistance to ensure applications are complete and accurate. Our service and fees are optional. Applicants can apply directly at the appropriate government website.”
Etastravel.com charges a processing fee of USD 99 per application. This fee includes the official fee charged by the UK government – which, according to the official website, is currently GBP 10 (GBP 16 from 9 April).
Careful with search results
In most cases, travellers use a search engine to find the official website to apply for an ESTA/ETA. The operators of scam websites are aware of this and use various tricks to ensure that their websites appear as high as possible in the search results, ideally above the results for the official website. They are often sponsored links that appear before the actual search results. In one case reported to us, a scam victim used a search engine to find the US ESTA application form. They were directed to a phoney .org website that contained official US government logos. Instead of the USD 21 it would have cost on the official website, the scammers charged the victim a hefty USD 121 for their ESTA application.
Recommendations
- Only apply for travel authorisations on official government websites:
- USA ESTA: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/
- Canada eTA: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta.html
- Australia eVisitor/ETA: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/ (use the official Australian ETA app to apply)
- UK ETA: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta
- New Zealand NZeTA: NZeTA application - request an NZeTA | Immigration New Zealand
- Be careful with search results and remember that advertisements (marked as "sponsored") are often displayed before the actual results.
- When in doubt, contact the country’s embassy or consulate directly to ensure you are getting the right information.
- Find out in advance what the official fees for travel permits are and be suspicious of offers that are significantly higher.
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Last modification 01.04.2025
