European Union is planning to increase the Schengen visa fees by 12 pc due to inflation, with the basic Schengen visa fee to be increased from EUR 80 to EUR 90 for adults. The initiative will be open for feedback on the matter by EU citizens until March 1.

The European Commission has proposed a hike in the Schengen visa application from EUR 80 to EUR 90 for adults and from EUR 40 to EUR 45 for children. The EU says that the hike is due to inflation. 

In addition, the EU may be considering another hike in visa fees for citizens of countries that do not assist in the readmission of their citizens who are still in the EU without the proper documentation, or simply put that do not take back illegal immigrants caught in the EU.

The EU Commission draft suggests raising the fee for a Schengen visa for such countries from EUR 120 to EUR 135 and from EUR 160 to EUR 180. EU has also suggested that, in line with the revision, external Schengen visa service providers will also be able to apply a higher fee.

The statement adds that the external service providers that collect Schengen visa applications on behalf of the member states may generally charge a fee up to half of the standard visa fee, i.e., EUR 45 instead of EUR 40.

As for the extension of a Schengen visa, the Commission has proposed on the draft that the fee remains the same, EUR 30. The same stressed that a revision would not affect the visa fees for countries that have already reached facilitation agreements.

“The revision of the visa fees does not affect the fees laid out in visa facilitation agreements, unless the agreement’s provisions make explicit reference to the visa fees set out in the Visa Code,” says the Commission in its statement.