Schengen Visa Fees for Indians

Different Types of Schengen Visas for Indians

Visitors from countries that have a visa-free arrangement with Schengen Area don't need a Schengen visa before coming here. However, this benefit is only available for EU nationals and people from a handful of countries. Most non-EU nationals, including people from India, need a specific visa before coming to Schengen countries.

Schengen visa has three main categories:

• Type A
• Type C
• Type D

The most commonly issued Schengen visa is the Uniform Schengen Visa which covers Type A and Type C visas. These include visas for airport transit, tourism and other short stay purposes up to 90 days.

Type D Schengen visa is the National long-stay visa issued by the respective Schengen country. It's visa fee, procedure, and characteristics may vary across various Schengen countries. You can study, work and live in the designated Schengen country on a Type D Schengen visa.

How Much Does it Cost to Get a Schengen Visa in India?

The cost of a short-stay Schengen visa is standardised for all the Schengen states. However, costs for work, student and other visas vary with countries depending on your purpose and duration of visiting. It's best to confirm with the concerned country's consulate/embassy or the designated visa service provider.

Most Schengen countries have outsourced visa application centres like VFS Global or BLS International. They have centres all over India and offer easy Schengen visa application processing to Indians.

As these are outsourced visa service providers, you will be charged additional service fees.

Please note that the fee is subject to change as per changing guidelines. As per a proposal submitted by the European Commission, people may see a hike in the Schengen visa fee in the later months of 2024.

This hike is expected to be 12.5%, which means the Schengen visa fee for adults will cost EUR 90, and the Schengen visa fee for children will cost EUR 45. As of now, the fee remains unchanged until further notice.

Schengen Visa Fee Exemption for Indians

Almost all Indian travellers to the Schengen region must pay the visa fee for their Schengen visa. However, there may be a few exceptions:

• Children aged below 6 years are exempt from the Schengen visa fee.
• Schengen visa fee waiver is possible for participants below 25 years if they're visiting for conferences, seminars, and other events (sporting/cultural/educational), etc.

Even in the case of Schengen visa fee exemption, you will need to pay the required administrative fees and meet other requirements like a valid passport, mandatory 30,000 EUR coverage travel Insurance for Schengen Visa and other important travel documents.

Tips for a Successful Schengen Visa Application

You must have definitely heard of this one! Schengen visa rejections are pretty common, given their elaborate procedure. However, with some careful preparation, you can avoid many common mistakes that may lead to Schengen visa rejections:

• Don't skip your research. Read the tedious instructions and understand the flowchart. Find out the accessible visa application centre and contact them before starting your procedure, especially if you have any doubts.
• Give yourself at least three months to plan your trip. In case of application mistakes, you will have sufficient time to fix them.
• Buy Schengen travel insurance. It is mandatory for your visa application to proceed further. It will protect you from a variety of financial emergencies like emergency medical hospitalisation, trip cancellation, lost passport and more.

Wrapping Up,

Applying for a Schengen visa may seem scary and overwhelming initially, but you can easily sail through this procedure once you're familiar. Plan well, keep your documents organised and prepare yourself for the Schengn visa appointment as required. Once you get your visa approved, the trip to your dream Euro trip is definitely worth all the hassle!