EU’s Increased Visa Fees to Cost Algerians Over €36 Million
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Schengen visa application fees are set to increase from €80 to €90. This represents an increase of 12.5 per cent in visa fees for Algerian nationals.
If approved, the increase in visa fees will result in a significant financial burden for Algerian nationals, with their visa fee expenses estimated to reach €36.8 million.
The proposed revision of visa fees is attributed to rising inflation in the EU; it was open for feedback by EU Citizens until March.
Schengen visa application fees for Algerians are on the brink of a sharp increase, potentially jumping from €80 to €90.
If the measure to increase fees, as was proposed to the EU Commission, is approved, Algerian nationals will experience an increase of 12.5 per cent in all visa fees, taking their total expenditure to an average of €36.8 million.
Data from Schengen Statistics published by SchengenVisaInfo show that Algerian nationals, among the top five visa applicants in the EU, file an average of 410,000 applications annually. Based on this data, the total amount Algerians spent on visa fees in the last five years reached €32.8 million.
Visa Fees to Cost Nearly One-Third of Algerians’ Average Wage
Schengen visa application fees, which are already high, can cost up to one-third or 31 per cent of the average monthly wage in Algeria.
According to data from Trading Economy, the average monthly wage in Algeria was €290 in 2022 – the highest Algerians have ever been paid. It is concerning that the visa application process does not include only the €80 fee, which can soon be raised to €90, but also other requirements such as proof of accommodation and plane ticket, making expenditure levels for visa applications even higher.
In 2022, which marks the return travel, consequently, an increased number of visa applications, Algerians spent €35.2 million in visa fees. This amount was even higher in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, when almost 670,000 applications were filed, and expenditure levels surpassed €60 million.
Despite High Application Rates, Still No Facilitation Agreement for Algerians in the Horizon
The new measure, on which the EU Commission is still sleeping, can significantly impact third-country nationals, especially Algerians. The draft also outlines a surge in visa fees for children, from €40 to €45, whereas Schengen fees for countries showing a lack of cooperation on readmission can surge from €120 to €135.
On the other hand, countries that have visa facilitation agreements with the EU, such as Azerbaijan and Armenia, are exempted from new price changes. Nationals of these countries have to pay a €35 fee for Schengen visa applications.
The revision of the visa fees does not affect the fees laid out in visa facilitation agreements unless the agreement’s provisions make explicit reference to the visa fees set out in the Visa Code.
Commission of the EU
Considering the high volume of visa applications filed and even higher rejection rates for Algerians, who had the highest number of rejected applicants in 2022, it would be convenient for the EU to reduce fees for this nationality.
The Commission revises the visa fees every third year, and this year, the proposal follows rising inflation in the EU and the need for an increase in the salaries of civil servants.