Schengen visa: prices and payment methods

A Schengen visa cost is comprised of consular and service fees. The application for a Schengen visa is considered only after the mandatory consular fee is paid. The service fee must be paid if you apply through an accredited visa application centre.

The consular fee ranges between €35 and €80, and the application is processed for up to 1.5 months. To get a visa in two or three days, an applicant needs to pay up to €70 for urgency. Children under six get Schengen visas free of charge.

What are consular and service fees?

A consular fee is a payment to a consulate or embassy’s employees for processing a Schengen visa application. 

A service fee is an additional payment to visa application centre employees for accepting and processing requests, reviewing documents, and sending them to consulates. 

Visa application centres offer additional paid services. For example, they will help file a Schengen visa application for €5. 

Paying consular and service fees is not a guarantee that you will get a Schengen visa. If you get rejected, the money will not be refunded.

How much does a Schengen visa cost?

A Schengen visa price depends on the applicant’s citizenship and age, as well as the type of visa they applied for and its processing period.

Rates for consular fees

The cost of a fast visa obtainment is usually €70. But, for example, in France, the extra urgency fee is €100. The decision to issue a visa is made in 2一3 days.

Free Schengen visas are available to the following applicants:

• children under 6;
• disabled individuals and a person accompanying them; 
• family members of a European Union citizen;
• school-attending children, students, and teachers travelling for educational purposes or professional training;
• researchers who travel to participate in scientific seminars, conferences, or to conduct research;
• holders of diplomatic and service passports.

Where and how to pay Schengen visa fees

To choose the most convenient way to pay for a Schengen visa, contact the consulate of the desired country in advance. The consulate should also specify the currency in which the payment is accepted.

Consular fees are usually paid in the local currency. However, sometimes payments are accepted in euros or the national currency of the Schengen Area.

Payment by card on the consulate’s website. Embassies of some countries allow applying for a Schengen visa online via their official websites. After filling out and submitting the application form, you will access the consular fee payment method.

When paying online, the following information is needed: 

• date of birth, full name, phone number;
• bank card number and its expiration date;
• CVC code.

After the payment is successfully completed, the receipt form will be formed, and you can receive it by email.

The payment receipt must be printed and attached to the documents required for getting a Schengen visa.

Payment at a consulate or visa application centre. Some consulates and visa application centres have bank branches where applicants can pay fees.

After the preliminary examination of documents, you must fill out a fee payment slip, which will be issued by a consulate or centre employee. Contact the bank’s branch and pay the visa fee using the slip. You can pay with a card or in cash. 

The service fee is paid simultaneously with the consular fee. 

Banks usually charge a service commission of 3 to 5%.

Payment using bank details. The consular fee can be paid using your bank details at any bank — online or at a branch.

If you come to a bank branch, the operator will need the following information:

• domestic and international travel passports data;
• phone number;
• permanent residence address.

Regardless of the payment method, you must save the receipt and attach it to the main set of documents.

How to travel to Schengen countries without a visa

Citizens of countries that are not part of the Schengen Area can freely visit the Schengen states. They get a residence permit in one of the Schengen agreement countries.

Another visa-free option is obtaining a second passport from a country with a visa-waiver agreement with the Schengen states. For example, an opportunity like this is provided by passports of Caribbean countries.

The fastest way to get a residence permit or a second passport is to participate in a state program for investors. Investors pass Due Diligence checks, invest in the country’s economy, and become its residents.

Participation costs of investment programs start at $100,000, and investors’ applications are processed within 2—8 months. The processing period and the investment amount will depend on the conditions of a particular program. Along with investors, the status is granted to their family members.

Frequently Asked Questions