Schengen short-stay visa fee

Schengen visa fees

The EU Visa Code sets one fee for short-stay Schengen visas in every member state. Adults pay €90 and children from 6 up to their 12th birthday pay €45 ².

Some nationalities pay less under agreements with the EU. The European Commission lists €35 for applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus and €67.50 for applicants from Cabo Verde ¹.

Who pays no fee

The Visa Code exempts these applicants from the fee ²:

• Children under 6 ².
• School pupils, students, postgraduate students and their teachers travelling for study or training ².
• Researchers travelling for scientific research or to attend a scientific seminar or conference ².
• Representatives of non-profit groups aged 25 or under going to seminars, conferences, or sports, cultural or educational events run by their group ².

Optional waivers and higher fees

Consulates may waive the fee for children aged 6 to 17, holders of diplomatic and service passports, and young non-profit event participants. They may waive or cut it in single cases for cultural, sporting, foreign policy, humanitarian or other public interest reasons ².

The fee can rise to €135 or €180 for nationals of a country if the EU Council adopts a decision against it under Article 25a of the Visa Code. This higher fee does not apply to children under 12 ^2,3.

Visa centre (VFS and similar) service fees

Many Schengen states let an external service provider take applications. The European Commission says an extra fee may apply if you use a visa service centre ¹.

The Visa Code caps this service fee at half the standard visa fee, which is €45. The cap applies even when your visa fee is reduced or waived. In countries where the member state has no consulate and is not represented by another member state, the service fee should not go above €80 ².

Refunds, currency and payment

The visa fee is not refunded. There are two exceptions: when the consulate is not the right one to handle your application, and when the application is ruled inadmissible ².

You can pay in euro or in the local currency of the country where you apply. Local amounts follow the European Central Bank euro reference rate and may be rounded up ².

Recent changes and where to apply

The current amounts come from Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415 of 14 March 2024, which set the adult fee at €90 and the child fee at €45 ³. The consolidated Visa Code with these amounts applies from 11 June 2024 ². We found no change to the fee in 2025 or 2026.

You apply at the consulate of the country you will visit. If you visit several, apply to the one where you will spend the longest time, or the first one if your stays are equal. The European Commission page links to each Schengen country's official visa website ¹.