Schengen Visa: From today, June 11, travelers considering holiday choices in Europe will have to pay more due to the European Union’s decision to increase the cost of Schengen visas (type c). According to the Slovenian government, adult applicants for a short-term visa would now pay €90 instead of €80, a 12.5 percent increase. This information was reported in a May Schengen News article. According to the study, the cost of applications for children aged 6 to 12 has increased from €40 to €45.
European Commission’s Decision
“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 June 11, 2024. New Schengen visa fees will be €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to below 12 years of age,” the Slovenian government had informed. Additionally, the report states that citizens of those nations who refuse to cooperate for reentry and who are remaining irregularly will be required to pay a visa cost of either €135 or €180.
Rationale for Fee Increase
According to the report, the Commission increased the application costs to counteract increases in inflation and member state employee pay. Additionally, the EU stated that the costs may be altered every three years; the most recent revisions were announced in February 2020. This trend occurs concurrently with a 36.3 percent increase in visa applications in 2023 over 2022. Nevertheless, the number of applications has not yet surpassed the pre-COVID figures, which were 16 million in 2019.
A new visa policy for India was implemented in April, allowing regular visitors to the country to apply for multi-year visas that can last up to five years. After obtaining and lawfully using two visas within the previous three years, Indian people can now apply for and be granted long-term, multiple-entry Schengen visas, which are valid for two years. Indians do not require separate visas in order to enter and exit Schengen nations several times within the validity duration of these visas.
Schengen Visa Privileges
Travelers with a valid Schengen visa can visit 29 different European nations. Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, Portugal, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Finland, Slovenia, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are among the nations covered by the visa.
