The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has notified third-country nationals requiring a Schengen visa that starting June 11, 2024, the application fees will increase. The Ministry has announced that starting June 11, the visa fees for adults applying for a short-term visa for Slovenia will increase from €80 to €90, and for children aged six to twelve, the fees will rise from €40 to €45.
Additionally, nationals from countries that have not cooperated on the readmission of their nationals irregularly staying in the EU will face visa fees of €135 or €180, depending on the Council’s decision.
The European Commission has not yet announced the date of the fee increase, but it is expected to publish the change in the Official Journal by the end of this week. This decision coincides with the EU reporting a 36.3 percent increase in the number of visas issued in 2023 compared to 2022, although this figure remains 39 percent lower than in 2019, when Schengen states received 16 million applications.
On February 2, 2024, the EU published its draft proposal for increasing Schengen visa fees and sought public feedback. The Commission stated that the EU Visa Code allows EU institutions to review visa fees every three years. The most recent review occurred at the end of December 2023, following a previous increase from €60 to €80 in February 2020.
The Commission explained that the proposed fee increase is based on calculations of inflation rates within the bloc and the salaries of civil servants in the Member States.