Country guide

USA

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) required before travel. Fee $40.27 total ($10.27 application processing + $30 if approved) after the Sept 2025 fee increase under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Valid 2 years or until passport expiry, multiple entries, max stay 90 days per visit combined with surrounding countries. (2026)
us passport	N/A - home country
uk passport	Same ESTA/Visa Waiver Program as EU passports; confirmed via gov.uk - British citizens need ESTA or a visa, ineligible if prior ESTA overstay, criminal record, or travel to Iran/Iraq/Libya/N.Korea/Somalia/Sudan/Syria/Yemen (post-Mar 2011) or Cuba (post-Jan 2021).
digital nomad visa	None. The USA has no dedicated federal digital nomad visa as of 2026; long stays beyond 90 days require a B1/B2 visa, work visa, or other status.
tax residency days	IRS Substantial Presence Test (verified via irs.gov): resident for tax purposes if present >=31 days in the current year AND the weighted 3-year total (all current-year days + 1/3 prior-year days + 1/6 year-before-that days) >=183.
notes	ESTA fee roughly doubled in Sept 2025 (was long cited at $21/$14); if researching from older sources double-check the current figure.

Money

currency	USD
card acceptance	Very high; Visa/Mastercard/Amex widely accepted including small vendors; contactless/Apple Pay common in cities, less so at small beach shacks.
local instant payment	Zelle and Venmo/Cash App are the dominant P2P apps, but both effectively require a US bank account/US phone number to sign up - not usable by short-term foreign tourists in practice.
scams	Rental car damage/insurance upsell disputes Tourist-area pickpocketing in dense cities (not beach-specific)
tipping	Strong tipping culture: ~15-20% at sit-down restaurants and bars is customary; often not included in the bill.
cash tips	Common for informal services (kite instructors, board carriers, valet); cash preferred where possible.

SIM & internet

operators ranked for coast coverage	Verizon (generally best rural/coastal reach) AT&T T-Mobile
esim options	Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile all offer eSIM plans Airalo/Holafly tourist eSIMs work nationally on partner networks
id required for sim	No government ID/registration mandate for prepaid SIMs in the US (unlike many countries).
starlink status	Legal and available (Starlink is a US company/origin market).
notes	Coverage varies a lot by specific remote destination (e.g. Outer Banks NC, rural Maui) - verify per-spot, not just per-carrier.

Insurance

kite excluded by standard policies	yes
recommended	Specialist watersports/kitesurf travel insurance (e.g. action-sports add-ons) recommended.
evacuation note	US healthcare is very expensive with no special provision for foreign visitors; some hospitals require upfront deposits from non-residents (confirmed via gov.uk). Adequate insurance essential.

Health

vaccines	None required for entry; routine vaccines recommended, no yellow fever requirement.
mosquito disease seasons	Varies hugely by region; some Zika/dengue risk historically in southern Florida in summer/rainy months - not a major nationwide concern.
tap water	Safe to drink nationwide.
emergency numbers	911 (confirmed via gov.uk)
hospital standard	High quality but very expensive without insurance; deposits sometimes required from non-residents.
pharmacy notes	Widely available (CVS/Walgreens chains); many meds require prescription.

Driving

idp needed	Not legally required in many states if license is in English, but recommended and required in some states - varies by state, not standardized nationally.
road safety	Drive on the right; generally good roads; rural highway speeds high.
rental traps	Young-driver surcharges, mandatory insurance upsells, fuel policy fine print.
4x4 contexts	Cape Hatteras/Outer Banks: 4x4 + beach driving permit required for many beach-access points (destination-specific but a recurring national pattern for barrier-island kite spots).
police stops	Rare for tourists; routine traffic stops possible.

Regulation

kite rules national	No single federal kitesurfing law; kites are generally treated under US Coast Guard navigation rules in federal/navigable waters (yield to swimmers/vessels). Actual kiteboarding zoning/hours are set locally (state/city beach ordinances) and vary by destination.
drone rules	FAA registration required for drones over 0.55 lb; recreational flyers must pass the TRUST test; no-fly zones near airports.
protected areas	National Seashores (e.g. Cape Hatteras) impose their own permit/zone rules for kiteboarding - destination-level detail.

Calendar & costs

holidays moving prices	Memorial Day weekend (late May) July 4th Labor Day (early Sept) Thanksgiving Christmas/New Year
school holidays	Summer break roughly June-August; spring break in March varies by state/school district.
currency	USD

airline: Southwest Airlines
policy: 2 free checked bags standard policy (linear size/weight limits apply); oversize/overweight bags including kite bags likely incur extra fees beyond standard checked-bag dims
limits: Standard checked bag threshold ~62 linear in / 50 lb before oversize fees apply (industry-standard figure, not confirmed on Southwest's site this session)
source: Not independently confirmed this session - Southwest baggage pages returned incomplete content; verify at southwest.com before booking
airline: Delta / American / United
policy: Sporting equipment (kite/board bags) generally accepted as checked baggage, oversize/overweight fees apply above standard thresholds
source: Not verified this session - airline baggage pages were unreachable (403/404); verify directly with airline before travel

ESTA fee: widely-cited older figure was ~$21 (2022-2024); confirmed current 2025/2026 figure is $40.27 after the Sept 2025 fee increase - flagging in case older sources are consulted.

Open questions

Exact 2026 kite-bag/oversize fees for Southwest, Delta, American, United, Alaska, Hawaiian not confirmed this session (sites blocked/incomplete) - verify directly before booking.
US cost index not meaningfully summarizable at country level (Hawaii/SF Bay far above national average, Florida/Great Lakes near average) - left null rather than invented.
ATM foreign-card fees/limits not verified this session.