Schengen visa allows the holder to travel freely in the Schengen Area comprising 29 European countries, for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work.

Schengen countries are among the most popular destinations for Indian travellers with a high preference for destinations like France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, among others. Schengen countries account for around 20 per cent of India’s outbound traffic, as per estimates.

The hiked fee comes into effect globally as per a statement by the European Commission. The EU visa costs were reviewed in December 2023, as Schengen Visa Code mandates review every three years. The fee was increased from 60 euros to 80 euros in February 2020.

A few weeks ago, the EU had announced a major reprieve for Indian travellers to Europe, offering multiple entry Schengen visas with longer validity. Frequent Indian travellers can now apply for five-year multiple entry visas, which puts them on par with “visa-free nationals”.

Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and used two visas in the past three years. “The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining,” said a statement by the European Commission in April.

The Schengen Area comprises 29 European countries, 25 of which are EU member states — Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Over 10.3 million applications for short-stay visas were received in the Schengen Area in 2023, up 37 per cent from 2022 but still less than the record of 17 million applications in 2019.