Schengen visa fee for applicants in India (2026): EUR 90, EUR 45, who pays nothing, and what the outsourcer may add
The fee is written in the Regulation, charged in rupees at a rate fixed under local Schengen cooperation, and never refunded on refusal.
The amounts
Article 16 of the Visa Code, as amended by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415 (in force from 11 June 2024):
| Who | Fee |
|---|---|
| Applicants aged 12 and over | EUR 90 |
| Children from six to below twelve | EUR 45 |
| Children under six | Free (Article 16(4)(a)) |
| Pupils, students, postgraduates and accompanying teachers on study or training trips | Free (Article 16(4)(b)) |
| Researchers travelling for scientific research or a scientific conference | Free (Article 16(4)(c)) |
| Representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 or under at non-profit events | Free (Article 16(4)(d)) |
| Children six to seventeen; diplomatic and service passport holders; young participants at non-profit events | May be waived (Article 16(5)) |
Before 2 February 2020 the adult fee was EUR 60; from 2 February 2020 to 10 June 2024 it was EUR 80 (children EUR 40). Article 16(2a) allows a higher fee of EUR 135 or EUR 180 for nationals of a country the Council has decided is not cooperating on readmission; that mechanism has not been applied to India as of this page's date.
Charged in rupees
Article 16(7): the fee is charged in euro or the local currency, and is "not refundable except in the cases referred to in Articles 18(2) and 19(3)". When charged in another currency, the amount is set and regularly reviewed against the European Central Bank's reference rate and may be rounded up; consulates in the same country coordinate so that similar rupee amounts are charged. The rupee amount on your receipt will therefore drift with the exchange rate.
What the outsourcer may add
Where you lodge through an external service provider (VFS Global, BLS International or TLScontact, depending on the state), Article 17 allows a service fee that must be "proportionate to the costs incurred" and, under Article 17(4), "shall not exceed half of the amount of the visa fee", that is EUR 45 at today's fee. Optional extras (courier, SMS, lounge, form filling) are exactly that, optional, and Annex X requires the provider to say so clearly. Article 17(5) obliges the state to keep the option of lodging directly at the consulate, without the service fee, though appointment availability varies.
When you do get the fee back
Article 19(3): if the application is inadmissible (lodged outside the Article 9 window, missing the mandatory items, biometrics not collected, fee not paid) the consulate must return the documents, destroy the biometrics, reimburse the fee and not examine the file. That is the main refund case. A refusal after examination is not one.
FAQ
Is the Schengen visa fee refunded if I am refused?
No. Article 16(7) makes it non-refundable except in the inadmissibility and specified withdrawal cases.
Do children pay the Schengen visa fee?
Under six: no. Six to eleven: EUR 45. Twelve and over: EUR 90. States may waive the fee for six-to-seventeen-year-olds under Article 16(5).
Why did I pay a different rupee amount from a friend?
The rupee equivalent tracks the euro exchange rate under Article 16(7) and is reviewed periodically, and outsourcer service charges and optional extras vary.
Questions this page answers
Is the Schengen visa fee refunded if I am refused?
No. Article 16(7) makes it non-refundable except in the inadmissibility and specified withdrawal cases.
Do children pay the Schengen visa fee?
Under six: no. Six to eleven: EUR 45. Twelve and over: EUR 90. States may waive the fee for six-to-seventeen-year-olds under Article 16(5).
Why did I pay a different rupee amount from a friend?
The rupee equivalent tracks the euro exchange rate under Article 16(7) and is reviewed periodically, and outsourcer service charges and optional extras vary.