The European Union plans to increase the cost of Schengen visas
The European Union has announced its intention to raise the fees for Schengen visas.
According to the proposal, the Commission suggests increasing the application fee for a Schengen visa from €80 to €90 for adults and from €40 to €45 for children. This decision comes amidst rising inflation rates.
These adjustments will affect countries that have not yet agreed upon a simplified visa regime with the EU. The proposal will remain open for feedback from EU citizens until March 1st.
The EU also intends to raise fees for countries that exhibit "insufficient cooperation on readmission," which involves accepting individuals expelled from EU member states for re-entry. For countries that have not shown cooperation in readmission, the fee will increase from €120 to €135 for short-stay visas and from €160 to €180 for long-stay visas.
Furthermore, the Commission has proposed allowing external Schengen visa providers to adjust their fees in line with these changes. Typically, external providers, such as visa agencies collecting Schengen visa applications for EU Member States, can charge up to half the standard fee. The Commission suggests increasing this maximum amount from €40 to €45.
However, the fee for extending a Schengen visa will remain unchanged at €30.