Schengen Visa Prices to Increase from January 2020

The Council of the European Union has approved on June 6, 2019, the proposed amendments on the Schengen visa code regulation to improve conditions for legitimate travelers.           

Travelers in need of a short term Schengen Visa will need to pay a higher visa fee starting from January 2020. According to a press release of the EU Council, the Schengen visa fees will increase for 33.3% from 60 euros to 80 euros once the amended regulation comes into force.

The new rules also permit applications to be submitted for a maximum of 6 months, and no later than 15 days, before the trip. So far, the maximum period has been 3 months. It also provides the possibility of the application form to be filled in and signed electronically. In addition, the EU intends to introduce a harmonized approach to the issuing of multiple entry visas to regular travelers with a positive visa history for a period, which increases gradually from 1 to 5 years.