It's the United States vs. L’Union européenne again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8241255.stm

I have to say I'm with the EU on this one. If the US are going to go through with this $10 charge, then we should charge US citizens €10 for access to these fair shores.

My God, have we exported stealth taxes to the US? I blame Gordon's slimy influence

Go EU!!

If they're going to charge us, I see no reason not to charge them. We shouldn't even try and cover it with some sort of 'education' spend for foreign travellers, just pocket the yanks' cash!

Frankly, I'm avoiding travelling to the US unless absolutely necessary anyway. The amount of personal data they require to allow entry just simply isn't justified.

The worst example I've seen of this kind of thing recently though is Turkey. You get the country and find there's a £10 'entry tariff'. And it is £10 (or €15 or $15, roughly) not the-equivalent-in-local-currency i.e. they won't accept Turkish money. Cue a massive stack of people rifling through their luggage to find where they've stashed the change they had for the airport trip out and etc. A complete scam and nothing more.

Jon

You mean the £10 for the multiple entry Visa which lasts 3 months. I agree that they should accept Turkish Lira.
It's the same for Egypt but that is £28 IIRC, though I paid for that in advanced through the tour operator.

I had to pay a $30 exit fee from one country. I think it was Mexico but I can't remember.

Jon, do what you think is right of course. However, if you think your personal data is actually yours, you might be a little behind the times.

As for the $10, yeah it's a little annoying, but whatchagonnado? The visa waiver no longer exists as it did, so this thing's already too far down the line. What's an extra $10?

New Zealand do the same, but only on exit. It was about £20 IIRC.

Well obviously I"m not that naive - they could I'm sure get it if they wanted to. I just object on principle to them harvesting everybody's data on the off chance that someone might be a terrorist. Assumption of innocence and all that.
On a simple contrary level if they do want my data I want them to have to do some work to get it, rather than me just handing it over.

Jon

Yeah, fair play. I just kinda accept that if I choose to visit their country, I choose to participate in their stupid counter-terrorism nonsense. It's a choice isn't it. I don't like it, but I do like to visit the States.

Well if "everyone else" is doing it, the EU should too.

Thankfully, the Schengen area is made of win, so no charges there...

I think you're possibly the youngest, enthusiastic "pro-European" I've ever heard of! Congratulations!

Everyone loves the Schengen area, even eurosceptics - who wants to fill in forms at "borders"?