The European Union’s Commission has set into motion a new plan to revise the fees associated with Schengen visas. In the proposed draft, the Commission suggests increasing the Schengen visa application fee from €80 to €90 for adults and from €40 to €45 for children.
Additionally, the Commission has proposed increasing the Schengen visa fee for countries that do not cooperate in the readmission of their nationals without proper documentation in the EU. The fee for these countries would increase from €120 to €135 and from €160 to €180.
The EU has also suggested that external Schengen visa service providers may apply a higher fee in line with the revision. The draft allows these providers to charge up to half of the standard visa fee, enabling them to charge €45 for their services instead of €40.
However, the Commission has proposed that the fee for extending a Schengen visa remain the same at €30. The revision will not affect visa fees for countries that have already reached facilitation agreements.
Although the EU has enough money, the Commission attributes the planned increase in visa fees to the inflation rate in the EU. The initiative to revise the visa fee will be open for feedback until March 1, 2024, allowing EU citizens to share their opinions on the matter.
One German citizen has expressed concern over the potential increase, stating that it would negatively impact both foreigners and middle-class people. It is clear that the proposed revision of Schengen visa fees is a contentious issue, and its impact on travelers and EU citizens remains to be seen.
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