Schengen visas fee hiked by 12%: How your trip to Europe can get costlier now

Those who are planning a trip to Europe, specifically to countries falling in the Schengen area, can now expect their trip to get costlier due to a visa fee hike. The European Commission is set to increase the Schengen visa fees from June 11, 2024, reported The Economic Times.

The Slovenian ministry of foreign and European affairs confirmed the same, reported The Economic Times. According to the revised rates, visa fees for adults will increase from €80 to €90, while visas for children aged six to twelve will increase from €40 to €45.

The Slovenian government said in a statement, “The European Commission adopted a decision to increase short-stay Schengen visa (visa type C) fees worldwide by 12 percent. The increase will apply worldwide as of 11 June 2024.”

The countries not cooperating with the visa price hike with the readmission of their irregularly staying citizens in the EU may face the fee rising to €135 or €180.

The EU Visa fees is reviewed every three years, as mandated by the Schengen Visa Code. The fee increase is taking place on the basis of a review in December 2023, citing the inflation in the European Union and increase in civil servants’ salaries as the reason for the hike. The last time Schengen visa fee was increased was in February 2020, when it rose from €60 to €80.

Schengen visas are required for citizens from non-European countries such as South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China, who which to travel to the Schengen area of the European Union. National from Britain, Canada, American and Australia do not need to apply for a Schengen visa.

The Schengen area of Europe contains of 29 countries, out of which 25 are EU states. The countries part of the Schengen area are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

As per the visa rules, the citizens from these member countries can travel anywhere in the Schengen area without a visa, under the 90-day-visa-free rule.