Schengen Visa Fee Hike In June: Travelling To Europe Will Become Costlier

OB Bureau

May 21, 2024 6:23 pm

New Delhi: Travelling to Europe will become costlier from June as the Scehngen visa fee is set to increase. The European Commission has approved a 12 per cent increase in Schengen visa fees, applicable worldwide from June 11, 2024, according to Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The move comes at a time when the bloc is trying to promote tourism in the region.

According to the new fee structure, adult applicants will pay €90, roughly Rs 8,140 (earlier €80) and children aged 6-12 will pay €45, roughly Rs 4,070 (earlier €40). Countries deemed uncooperative with the EU’s efforts to repatriate their citizens may face even steeper hikes, with fees potentially reaching €135 or €180, News 18 reported.

One euro (€) is equal to Rs 90.45 at present.

“The European Commission adopted a decision to increase short-stay Schengen visa (visa type C) fees worldwide by 12 per cent. This increase will apply globally starting June 11, 2024,” the Slovenian government stated.

The European Commission has cited inflation and rising civil servant salaries as justification for the increase. The previous fee hike occurred in February 2020. This decision comes after a scheduled review of EU visa fees in December 2023. It occurs every three years as stipulated by the Schengen Visa Code.

The Schengen Area encompasses 29 European countries, offering visa-free travel for short stays to holders of a Schengen visa. These include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway (not officially Schengen Area but applies regulations), Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

This news comes as a disappointment for some, particularly Turkish citizens who have long awaited a visa-free travel agreement with the EU.

In 2023, the Schengen region received over 10.3 million short-stay visa applications, reflecting a 37 per cent year-on-year rise. However, this is still below the pre-pandemic peak of 17 million applications received in 2019. India secured the third position in terms of visa applications for Europe, with a total of 9,66,687 submissions, the report added.