A trip to Europe is set to become costly.
”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 11 June 2024,” according to Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
New Schengen visa fees will be 90 euros for adults and 45 euros for children aged 6 to below 12 years of age, the ministry said in a statement. The hike will be applicable to all visa applicants across the globe.
The Schengen visa permits travel across 27 European countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
European vacations are becoming increasingly popular among Indian travellers. The European Commission recently stated in a report that there has been a significant surge in Schengen visa applications from Indian nationals, with a remarkable 43 per cent increase in 2023 as compared to 2022. India maintained the third position in Schengen visa applications for 2023, with a total of 966,687 filings.
The last fee update was implemented in February 2020, when the adult visa fee was increased to Euro 80 from Euro 60. The European Commission justified the latest hike by citing inflation and the need to cover administrative costs associated with the visa process, which includes background checks, data processing, and maintaining secure entry systems.