According to reports from Schengenvisainfo.com anyone looking to apply for a Schengen visa, which awards its holder the of chance of visiting 26 European countries, 22 of them part of the European Union, will have to fork out a bit more money than they originally intended.
From February 2020 visa applicants will be asked to pay around R1,300 (€80) to apply for their visa. That is an increase of about 30% when compared to previous fees. Before, anyone looking to apply for this visa was asked to pay R960 (€60). Children under the age of 6 or younger will not be required to pay any visa fees.
The new visa code will implement a system that declares whether the visa fees should change or remain the same, for every three years. The new visa code also states that any travellers frequently visiting countries within the Schengen area, who also have a positive visa history, ie: They have a good economic situation in the country of origin, will be granted with the benefit of getting a multiple-entry visa valid for up to five years.
The updated visa code also requires members of the Schengen States to accept electronically completed applications forms along with allowing visa applicants to sign the application form electronically.
Other notable changes include.
- Extended application submission periods.
- Electronic application forms in most countries.
- Representative authorities of every Schengen Member must be present in every third-country in terms of visa admission after 2 February.
- Frequent travelers with a positive visa history to benefit from visas with lengthier validity.
Feature image: Unsplash
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