The European Union Council has opted to lower the Schengen visa fee for The Gambia to the standard rate of €80.  The Gambians were previously subject to an increased Schengen visa fee of €120 due to insufficient cooperation regarding the readmission of individuals staying irregularly in the EU. However, with The Gambia's improved cooperation efforts, the Council has now returned to the standard application fee of €80.

Despite the reduction of the Schengen visa fee for Gambians to the standard rate, citizens of The Gambia will still need to follow the same application procedures as previously. The only difference is that they will now save €40. Although EU authorities have not provided comments on the implications of this change, it's anticipated that there will be increased interest among Gambians in applying for Schengen visas, now that the higher fee no longer applies to them.

Since December 2022, the Council of the EU has raised the Schengen visa fee for Gambians by 50 percent, resulting in higher costs compared to other nationals requiring visas for entry. In 2021, prior to the fee increase, the EU implemented several measures against Gambian nationals, including suspending the ability for member states to waive document requirements for visa applicants, halting the issuance of multiple entry visas, and extending processing times beyond the usual 15-day limit, resulting in longer wait times.

The current standard fee for Schengen visas is €80, but the EU Commission is considering a potential 12 percent increase. If approved, this would raise the fee from €80 to €90. The Commission's draft proposal cites inflation as the reason for the increase. Importantly, countries with existing visa facilitation agreements with the EU will not be affected by these changes.