Cost of processing Schengen visas for Russians soars to 120-130 euro in 2024

MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - The cost of processing Schengen visas for Russians reached 120-130 euro in 2024 while the most expensive visas were those issued to business travelers to Britain and Saudi Arabia, the press service of the Aeroclub business travel agency said in a statement on Friday.

"The number of entry visas received by Russian tourists to the Schengen Agreement countries dropped by 36% in 2024 and their proportion stood at 18%. The most affordable Schengen destinations were France and Switzerland for business trips, and Italy, Greece and Hungary for trips with tourism purposes. As a rule, tourist visas were single-entry, very rarely for three to six months. In the case of documentation submitted for a business purpose, single-entry visas also were the most frequently issued, but there were cases of visas issued for a long period, up to two to three years," the statement said.

In 2024, the price of Schengen visas continued to rise, the company said.

"In 2024 the consular fee was raised by 10 euro to 90 euro, leading to the price of a Schengen visa increasing up to 120-130 euro. In addition, a number of visa application centers introduced new requirements: Spain requires a statement for the past 10 years from the pension and social insurance fund and Hungary, Germany, Greece and Switzerland should be shown bills of payment for hotels and flights, which makes the procedure especially more difficult for business travelers who make cashless payments. Visa processing times vary between 15 and 45 working days; however, during peak season, in particular, at the Italian visa center, that process could lengthen to two months," the statement said.

Russian companies' visa support expenses rose by 63% in 2024, according to the company's data. The most expensive that year was a British five-year visa, at 771 pounds sterling (86,700 rubles). Also among most expensive visas is a business visa to Saudi Arabia, issued within five working days for one year, for a stay of maximum 90 days in the country; it costs 40,000 rubles.

Demand for invitations for a Russian entry visa from foreign business travelers rose by 147% over the year. By the number of applications, the top five included business travelers from Britain, Egypt, Turkey and Sri-Lanka. The number of invitation requests from Schengen Area countries dropped by 68% from the year before.