On 2 February 2020, Schengen visa fees to be increased to €80

In February 2020, the Schengen visa fees will be increased to €80. This decision was made by the Council of the European Union. At the same time, the process of obtaining visas will be simplified. According to the new rules, applicants will be able to submit their applications 6 months prior to the planned trip instead of the existing 3 months. A period of the visa validity will gradually increase to five years. The new fees will not affect citizens of states that have bilateral agreements with the EU. Belarus and the European Union have been negotiating visa facilitation. The text of the document has already been agreed. After going through the necessary domestic procedures, it will be signed by the parties.  When the agreement enters into force, Schengen visas should go down in price to 35 euros.