How much is the Schengen visa fee in rupees?
The visa fee is EUR 90 per adult traveller, EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, and nothing for children under 6. You pay it in rupees at an exchange rate the visa office fixes, so the INR figure differs by country and changes without notice. Germany charges ₹10,100 from 27 August 2026; Spain's application centre lists ₹9,599.
The euro amount is set by Article 16 of the Visa Code and has been EUR 90 since 11 June 2024. It is the same for all 29 Schengen states and for every purpose of a short-stay visa: tourism, business, visiting family.
| Who | Fee in euro | Germany (from 27 Aug 2026) | Spain, via BLS (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, and any child aged 12 or over | EUR 90 | ₹10,100 | ₹9,599 |
| Child aged 6 to 11 | EUR 45 | ₹5,100 | ₹4,799 |
| Child under 6 | Free | Free | Free |
Two visa offices, two rupee figures for the same EUR 90. Each mission follows its own exchange rate, so check the fee page of the country handling your file in the week you apply. Do not budget from a figure you saw months ago.
What does VFS or BLS charge on top of the visa fee?
The service charge is separate from the visa fee. It goes to the application centre, not the visa office, and each country's centre sets its own. Spain's BLS centres list ₹1,802 per traveller, including 18% GST, with children under 6 exempt. Optional extras such as courier return, premium lounges or form-filling cost more and are never required.
Two lines to keep apart when you total the trip:
- Visa fee: fixed in euro by EU law, converted to rupees by the visa office, paid per traveller.
- Service charge: set by the centre (VFS Global, BLS, GVC World and others), paid per traveller, with its own refund policy.
If someone quotes you a single "visa cost" for a family of four, ask which of the two it includes.
How do I pay the Schengen visa fee?
You pay when you submit the application, in rupees, at the application centre or visa office. Accepted methods vary by mission: some take cards, some take cash for part of the bill. Spain's BLS centres take the service charge in cash. Read the centre's fee page before your appointment and carry the stated amount.
The Common Information Sheet published by the Schengen visa offices in India says it plainly: embassies have different policies on accepting local or euro currency, and some visa offices accept credit cards. There is no single rule. The page for your visa office is the only one that counts.
Is the Schengen visa fee refunded if the visa is refused?
No. The fee pays for examining the file, not for the visa, so a refusal keeps it. There is one exception: if you submit at a visa office that is not competent for your trip, it returns the application and reimburses the fee. Service charges follow the centre's own refund terms, which are usually stricter.
In 2025, Indian applicants filed 1,153,748 Schengen applications and 181,111 of them were not issued (European Commission, DG HOME, 2025 statistics). Every one of those files paid the fee. That is the whole case for finding the gaps before you pay, not after. Our refusal reasons guide lists what the officers record.
Who does not pay the Schengen visa fee?
The Visa Code waives the fee for children under 6, for pupils and students travelling for study or educational training with accompanying teachers, for researchers travelling for scientific work or a conference, and for representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 or under attending events. Family members of EU citizens exercising free movement also pay nothing.
Member states may additionally waive the fee for:
- children aged 6 to 17;
- holders of diplomatic and service passports;
- participants aged 25 or under in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations.
"May" means it is that visa office's choice. A tourist trip by a 15-year-old is charged EUR 45 unless the visa office's page says otherwise. A student going to Europe on holiday, not for a course, pays the full EUR 90; the student waiver is tied to the purpose of the trip, not to the student card. More on that in Schengen visa for students from India.
What does a family pay in visa fees?
Add the euro amounts per traveller, then convert with the visa office's rate. Two adults, a child of 8 and a child of 4 come to EUR 90 + 90 + 45 + 0 = EUR 225. At Germany's rate that is ₹10,100 + ₹10,100 + ₹5,100 = ₹25,300, before service charges. Service charges are also per traveller, with the under-6 child usually exempt.
The visa fee is a small part of the trip budget. The part that decides the file is proof of funds: each country publishes a daily reference amount, and France, for instance, expects EUR 65 per day with hotel bookings and EUR 120 per day without proof of accommodation. Run the numbers for your country in the bank balance tool.
Before you pay
The fee is gone the moment the file is submitted. Ten minutes on a free readiness check shows what your file is missing while it is still free to fix. Nothing about paying the fee, or paying it twice, changes the outcome; the documents do.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), Article 16 (visa fee), as amended with effect from 11 June 2024.
- Common Information Sheet for Schengen visa applicants in India, published by the Schengen member states' missions in India (fee waivers, payment methods, reimbursement when submitted at a non-competent visa office).
- German Missions in India, visa fee page (india.diplo.de): ₹10,100 adult, ₹5,100 child, effective 27 August 2026.
- BLS International, Spain Visa Application Centre India, short-term visa fees page, read 17 September 2026: ₹9,599 adult, ₹4,799 child 6 to 11, service charge ₹1,802 including 18% GST.
- European Commission, DG HOME, Schengen visa statistics 2025, country-level data for India.
- Annex 25 of the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts for means of subsistence), DG HOME compilation of 1 April 2026, for the France figures.