EU Hikes Schengen Visa Fees By 12%; Turkish Citizens In Discontent

Key Points

1. Schengen visa fees are set to increase from €80 to €90 for adult applicants and from €40 to €45 for child applicants starting June 11, 2024.

2. Countries not cooperating with the re-admission of irregularly staying citizens may face higher visa fees, up to €130 or €180.

3. Indian residents have shown a significant interest in exploring Europe, with a 43% increase in Schengen visa applications in 2023 compared to the previous year, prompting the EU to introduce a simplified visa process for multi-entry visas with extended validity periods to better facilitate their travel.

‍

Recent developments in Schengen visa news include the European Commission's increase in visa fees beginning June 11, 2024. Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs confirmed this news, declaring that the Schengen visa cost will increase from €80 to €90 for adult applicants. They also announced that the price of a Schengen visa for child applicants (ages six to twelve) will increase from €40 to €45. 

Additionally, a major caveat introduced in this Schengen visa news is that countries found not cooperating with the re-admission of their irregularly staying citizens in the EU may face visa fees rising to €130 or €180.

The Schengen Visa Code mandates a review of EU visa fees every three years. Therefore, this Schengen visa news emerges from the review that took place in December 2023. The European Union has cited inflation as well as the increase in civil servants’ salaries as reasons behind the spike in Schengen visa fees. The last review increased Schengen fees from €60 to €80 in February 2020. 

“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.”

The Schengen area is essentially a zone in Europe where citizens of a total of 29 countries can travel freely through all the member countries as long as they hold a Schengen visa. Some major names on the list of Schengen countries include 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. Still confused, find out what the Schengen visa is!

In the Schengen news of 2023, Indian residents have shown a demonstrated interest in exploring Europe, as evidenced by a 43% increase in Schengen visa applications in 2023 compared to the previous year. According to SchengenVisaInfo, Indians accounted for the third-highest number of Schengen visa applications (966,687). The Chinese population, which accounted for about 10% of the total visa applications (1.1 million), is followed by Turkey and then, India. The EU also revealed extended Schengen visa schemes for Indian nationals recently.

Turkish citizens have expressed discontent at the hike in Schengen visa costs. Many citizens of the Turkish Republic who expected a visa-free agreement with the European Union were left disappointed.

To better facilitate the interest of Indian citizens, the EU has introduced a “cascade” system that highly simplifies the process of multi-entry visas with extended validity periods.

TL;DR

Beginning June 11, 2024, Schengen visa fees for adults and children are set to rise, attributing the increase to economic factors such as inflation and salary adjustments. The surge in Indian interest in Europe has led to streamlined visa procedures, underlining the importance of visa policies in promoting tourism and business ties. Conversely, Turkish citizens' dissatisfaction with the fee hike underscores the intricate interplay between visa regulations, diplomatic relations, and public perception, urging a careful balancing act in visa policy decisions.

‍