Brussels, 17/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 14 November, the United States confirmed that as of 12 January 2009, travellers who are nationals of the member states of the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) must apply online for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before going to the United States. This system will be obligatory for travellers from the 21 member states which are part of the VWP. Nationals of six new countries which joined the VWP on 17 November must already have an ESTA and a biometric passport to visit the United States (EUROPE 9783). "Other member states will have the option to benefit from the VWP before the end of the year, particularly those of the remaining six with visa refusal rates below 10%", said an official American source. Travellers may make an application for their ESTA before they buy their tickets to the United States. Once the application has been accepted (in most cases, applicants will receive the decision instantaneously), the authorisation will be valid for two years, or until the holders passport expires. The ESTA website is available online (https: //esta.cbp.dhs.gov). This system has already allowed 300,000 people to visit American soil since the system was made available in August. Less than 0.5% of applications have been turned down. At the time of going to press, obtaining the ESTA is free of charge and available in 16 languages. The American authorities have stated that no tax will be brought in for the introduction of the ESTA, even if the situation was to change in the future. Commercial websites have posed as intermediaries by charging passengers for ESTA applications, but the American authorities deny all responsibility for something that they consider comes under the heading of free enterprise. (B.C./transl.fl)