Schengen Visa Fees to Increase from June 11 – Report | Schengen visa fees are set to increase from €80 to €90 for adult applicants starting from June 11, 2024.
The increase is a result of the most recent review of the EU visa fees, that took place in December 2023, which is foreseen to happen every three years by the Schengen Visa Code. The EU has resonated the increase with the inflation rates and the salaries of civil servants in the Member States.
The European Commission adopted a decision to increase short-stay Schengen visa (visa type C) fees worldwide by 12 per cent. The increase will apply worldwide as of June 11, 2024.Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia.
The last time the EU increased visa fees was in February 2020, when the costs for filing an application increased from €60 to €80.
IATA Warns Increase in Visa Fees May Deter Tourists
During the period within which the draft law was open for public feedback, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released a report on the impact of increased visa fees in travel to the EU.
According to this feedback report, increasing visa fees would impact travel affordability and have a ripple effect on local economies of the bloc, as they would discourage travellers, and reduce travel volumes.
This revision may discourage tourists from choosing Schengen destinations, especially when other places do not require visas or offer more cost-effective options.International Air Transport Association (IATA)
The same has encouraged the EU to work towards the most visa-free regime possible, while also making use of visa facilitation technologies and making sure the fee of visas mirrors the digitalization plans of the EU.
Many have turned out to be unhappy with EU’s decision to increase visa costs, in particular Turkish citizens, who are waiting for years now for a visa-free agreement to be concluded between the EU and Türkiye. Some of them have provided feedback to the EU pointing out the financial burden Turkish citizens already have to face when applying for a visa.
Data show that in 2023, the Schengen Area Member States received more than 10.3 million applications for short-stay visas, 37 per cent more than in 2022. Yet, the number remain way under the 2019 levels, when the Schengen visa centers abroad received around 17 million applications. Schengen Visa Fees to Increase from June 11 – Report (Source: VisaGuide)
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