Schengen:
The European Commission has approved a 12% rise in Schengen visa application fees, so travelers who are considering a trip to Europe may expect to pay more in the near future. The hike is scheduled to go into force globally on June 11, 2024, according to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia. It’s interesting to note that this development aligns with the bloc’s initiatives to increase travel to the area.
The new costs would increase the amount that adult candidates must pay from €80 to €90, and the amount that children between the ages of 6 and 12 must pay from €40 to €45. Additionally, nations that do not assist the EU in its repatriation efforts may be subject to even more severe increases, with rates possibly rising to €135 or €180.
The European Commission blames rising civil worker wages and inflation for this price rise. It’s important to remember that the most recent cost increase was in February 2020. This decision is the result of the Schengen Visa Code’s periodic assessment of EU visa fees, which takes place every three years.
The Schengen Area, which includes 29 European nations, allows holders of Schengen visas to travel without a visa for brief visits. Not everyone is happy with this move, though. Turkish nationals may find this news disappointing as they have been eagerly awaiting an agreement with the EU on visa-free travel.
Over 10.3 million short-stay visa applications were submitted in the Schengen region in 2023—a substantial rise of 37% year over year. This number, however, is still below the pre-pandemic high of 17 million applications in 2019. With a total of 966,687 submissions, India notably placed third in terms of visa applications for Europe in 2023.
It’s interesting that this increase in visa fees coincides with Europe’s efforts to draw in more tourists from around the world. In a related development, the European Commission introduced on April 18, 2024, a new visa policy designed especially for Indian nationals living in India. Known as the “visa cascade,” it promises to simplify the application process by rewarding a clean visa history, making multi-entry visas easier to get, and even providing the possibility of a five-year visa.
