Schengen visa application fees might soon cost €90 for Turkish passport holders, indicating a 12.5 per cent spike.
This measure, which has yet to be approved by the EU Commission, will increase prices for third-country nationals from €80 to €90, while nationals of countries that have a facilitation agreement in place will be excluded from the increase in Schengen visa fees, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
This means that Turkish nationals, who in 2022 alone filed almost 778,409 applications, spent €62.2 million in visa fees.
These expenses can increase even further if the draft proposal for increasing Schengen visa fees is approved by the EU Commission. This draft also includes a spike in visa fees for children, from €40 to €45, whereas Schengen fees for countries showing a lack of cooperation on readmission can surge from €120 to €135.
Schengen Visa Fee Expenses Substantially High for Turkish Nationals
According to Schengen Statistics, Turkish nationals are in the top three nationalities, with most visa applications ever submitted to the authorities. Keeping this in mind, Turks are considered to pay large amounts for applications every year.
On average, every year, Turks lose €6.7 million from their pockets due to these fees, while the total amount they spend on Schengen visa fees between 2017 and 2022 sums up to €40.3 million. The highest Schengen visa fee expenditure for this period was recorded in 2017 – a total of €77.7 million, while application rates almost hit the one-million mark (971,710).
If the draft of a hike in application fees is approved, Turkish nationals would have to pay €7.7 million more for the number of applications they filed in 2022 than they already did. Consequently, the amount of money spent for the six-year period (2017-2022) would be €363.3 million in total, instead of €322.9 million that they spent during this time.
Preliminary data show that in the first quarter of 2023, Turkish nationals filed 110,592 visitor visa applications, with Turkiye ranking 5th for the highest number of applications recorded. India holds the first position (588,777), followed by Nigeria (150,836), China (124,689) and Pakistan (122,536).
Raising the Schengen Visa Fees Might Result in Fewer Tourists
Increasing the fees for Schengen visa applications, can impact tourism within Schengen member states, as millions are generated every year from this industry particularly.
A social media commenter says that there will be fewer tourists if the EU Commission proceeds with the draft.
Visa fees are a cost to be considered, especially these days.
The initiative will be open for feedback until March 1. During this time, EU citizens can share their opinions on the matter, determining the future of such a draft proposal.
