BRUSSELS – The European Union Commission has unveiled plans to revise the fees associated with Schengen visas, proposing increases for both adults and children.
According to the proposal, the fee for adults would rise from €80 to €90, while for children, it would increase from €40 to €45.
The revision also includes provisions for countries deemed non-cooperative in readmitting their citizens from the EU, with higher fees proposed in such cases.
As part of the proposed changes, the maximum amount that external service providers can charge for collecting visa applications may also see an increase, potentially rising from €40 to €45. The proposal, which aims to align visa fees with inflation and civil servants’ salaries, follows a meeting with EU member states’ experts in December, where a majority supported the revision. The commission explores the option to revise the fee every three years.
Interestingly, regarding the extension of a Schengen visa, the Commission has proposed in the draft that the fee remains the same which is €30.
It is to be clarified that the proposed changes are still in the finalization phase and an official announcement in this regard is awaited.
Meanwhile, travel to Schengen countries by citizens from across the world will be seamless soon as plans are underway to digitize the process of applying for visas.
Members of the EU parliament are in the final stages of allowing digitization of the visa issuance process in place of physical applications and visa stickers. The start of interinstitutional negotiations with the Council of the EU in order to reach an agreement on the final form of the law has been authorized in this regard.
As many as 34 votes were cast in favour of the digitization (which was part of the report). The digitization process was also confirmed by VFS Global which said they were aware of EU plans to digitize the visa application process, and as an external service provider look forward to supporting the governments on their transformation journey.
The details on the process are still not clear but tour operators across the world are unanimous in supporting the change and opine that this would help Europe improve its reputation as a tourist destination.
