The European Commission is considering increasing Schengen visa fees, according to a note dated Friday 4 September and sent to the Member States, which Agence Europe was able to consult. The document therefore explores the feasibility of a “harmonised European surcharge” to be added to the current €90.
“For the EU budget, the increase will generate additional revenue that will support European expenditures,” the Commission states, judging the current fee to be “relatively low compared to other jurisdictions”. It cites the United States (€162), Canada (€115), Australia (€152) and the United Kingdom (€158) to argue in favour of a “global level playing field” and “alignment”, as was done for ETIAS in 2025.
According to the note, a +20% scenario - or a surcharge of €18 per application - would generate around €187 million in additional revenue per year for the EU budget, based on the 12.2 million applications recorded in 2025. This sum would be allocated to the EU’s “other revenue”, rather than to own resources.
The Commission is therefore inviting the Member States to state their views on the level, form (fixed amount or percentage) and collection arrangements for the potential surcharge, including in the context of the digitalisation of the procedure - the Common Visa Application Platform (EU-VAP) being due to enter into service in 2030. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)