Who needs a Schengen visa to visit the EU and how much it may rise in price in 2024

The European Commission has proposed to increase the basic Schengen visa fee by 12% in 2024. Therefore, the price will increase from 80 to 90 euros for adults and from 40 to 45 euros for children. A Schengen visa is required only in one case: for citizens of non-EU countries who are not covered by the 90-day visa-free regime of the EU and the Schengen area.

Ukrainians should not worry about additional services due to the visa-free regime with the EU. The Schengen visa applies only to citizens of South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China. The Commission stated that the increase in the fee is necessary due to inflation in the EU. Euronews reports that if the draft is approved, the cost increase can be expected within the next few weeks.

The draft is open for discussion until March 1. During this time, EU citizens will be able to express their opinions and indicate whether they support the proposal or not. If the initiative is approved, the changes will come into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. In particular, recalculating the price of a Schengen visa is a common practice for the European Commission. Its cost is reviewed every three years.

However, the EU is also planning to increase fees for countries that show "insufficient cooperation (readmission) in relation to their citizens illegally staying in the EU". This refers to the re-entry of persons expelled from the EU. For these countries, the cost of a Schengen visa will also increase: from 120 to 135 euros and from 160 to 180 euros.

In particular, the amount may also differ from the official one due to the permission for visa agencies to charge a separate fee for processing documents. Usually, the cost of services is half of the standard price for a visa, so the commission proposed to raise this amount from 40 to 45 euros.

However, the fee for extending this document will remain fixed at 30 euros.

In particular, the EU plans to introduce a digital-only version of the Schengen visa by 2028. Tourists will be able to apply online regardless of the country they plan to visit. The digital version should replace the current system of stickers in passports.

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