Schengen Visa Fees and Processing Times from the UK

The Schengen visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11, and children under 6 pay nothing. In the UK you pay it in pounds, plus the visa centre's service fee. The legal deadline for a decision is 15 calendar days, which can be extended to 45. Apply up to six months ahead.

Schengen visa fees in 2026

The fee is set by the EU Visa Code and is the same for every Schengen country.

These amounts have applied since 11 June 2024, when an EU regulation raised the fee by 12.5%, from €80 to €90. The Visa Code requires the Commission to review the amounts every three years, so check the date on any fee table you rely on.

Who pays less or nothing

The Visa Code says the fee is waived for:

• children under 6
• school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers travelling to study or for educational training
• researchers travelling to carry out scientific research or attend a scientific seminar or conference
• representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 or under taking part in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events run by non-profit organisations

Consulates may also waive the fee for children aged 6 to 17, and can waive or reduce it in individual cases, for example for humanitarian reasons. These are optional, so do not assume a waiver. Check with the consulate before your appointment.

Family members of EU citizens

If you are the non-EU family member of an EU citizen and you travel with them, or to join them, in an EU country other than their own, EU free movement rules apply. The Commission's handbook says "No visa fee can be charged", that you can apply directly at the consulate without any costs, and that the visa should be issued quickly under an accelerated procedure. Bring proof of the family relationship and of your family member's nationality.

Nationals of a few countries pay less

Some countries have visa facilitation agreements with the EU. Under them, nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus pay €35, and nationals of Cabo Verde pay €67.50. Most other nationalities, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nigerian and Ghanaian passport holders, pay the standard fee.

Restrictions for some nationalities

Under Article 25a of the Visa Code, the EU can restrict visas for nationals of countries that do not cooperate enough on taking back their own citizens. On 9 October 2026, measures were in force for nationals of The Gambia, Somalia and Guinea. For them, the standard processing time is 45 calendar days instead of 15, and multiple-entry visas under the normal rules are not issued.

These measures follow your nationality, not where you live, so they also apply if you apply from the UK. Family members of EU citizens covered by free movement rules are excluded. The Visa Code also allows higher fees of €135 or €180 as a further step, but no such decision was in force on 9 October 2026.

What you pay in pounds

Consulates in the UK usually charge the €90 fee in pounds, converted at a rate they set and revise. The pound amount therefore differs from one country to another, and from one quarter to the next. Some examples published by consulates and their visa centres:

Germany, France, the Netherlands, Iceland and Finland also charge in pounds at their own rates. Our country pages show the latest figures we have checked.

Visa centre service fees

Most Schengen countries use an external provider in the UK, such as VFS Global, TLScontact or BLS International, and the provider charges a service fee on top of the consulate fee. The Visa Code caps this fee at half the visa fee, which means €45 while the visa fee is €90, even if your visa fee is reduced or waived.

Service fees vary widely. As well as the examples above, VFS lists €40 for Iceland and €20 for Finland, including VAT. Some countries take applications at the embassy with no service fee at all. Poland's embassy in London says "Visa registration is always free of charge."

Optional extras

Visa centres also sell optional services, such as premium lounges, appointments outside normal hours, SMS updates and courier return of your passport. TLScontact's London centre for Belgium, for example, charges £79.74 for a Prime Time appointment and £30 for express courier return. BLS charges £29.99 for next-day passport return and £100 for its premium lounge, and Greece's centre charges £75 for its premium lounge.

They are optional, and they do not change the decision. Only the consulate examines your application and decides on it. TLScontact says its added services do not entitle you to a successful application, an earlier appointment or faster processing, and Greece's visa centre puts it plainly: its premium service "does not guarantee the right to obtain a visa, nor faster processing".

What else to budget for

Your total cost is more than the visa fee. Plan for:

• the consulate fee
• the visa centre service fee
• any optional extras you choose
• travel insurance with at least €30,000 of cover
• translations of documents not in English, if the consulate asks for them
• travel to and from the visa centre
• our fee, if you use a consultancy. See our pricing page.

How long a Schengen visa takes

Under Article 23 of the Visa Code, a consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of the date an admissible application is lodged. That period "may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, notably when further scrutiny of the application is needed".

Calendar days include weekends and public holidays. The clock starts when your application is lodged at the visa centre or consulate, not when you book the appointment.

Add the time around the decision

The 15 days are only part of your timeline. Allow for:

1. Getting an appointment. In spring and summer this can take weeks.
2. The decision itself. Usually up to 15 calendar days.
3. Getting your passport back. Collection or courier adds time. Germany's embassy, for example, says to allow "a further 2-3 working days" for the return of your passport.
4. Where you apply. Files lodged outside London are often sent to London first. Italy's visa centre adds two working days for Manchester and Edinburgh, and Greece's adds five days.

When to apply

You can lodge your application up to six months before your trip, and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it starts. Seafarers can apply up to nine months before.

Book your appointment as soon as your dates are fixed. If you travel in summer, start in the spring.

What consulates in the UK say

Consulates publish their own estimates, and they are not all the same:

• Germany: "approx. 15 working days", plus 2 to 3 working days to return your passport.
• Netherlands: in high season, the average "may increase to 25 calendar days", and it can reach 45.
• Finland: VFS says the embassy takes 10 working days.
• Iceland: the embassy says applications are normally processed within 15 days.
• Italy: the consulate says it is "not possible to rush processing time because the system is completely automated".

Why some applications take longer

• Further scrutiny. The consulate may need to look more closely at your file, or invite you to an interview.
• Prior consultation. For some nationalities, at least one Schengen country asks to be consulted before any visa is issued. The EU's list, dated 1 November 2024, includes Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Commission's handbook says the 15 days already include this, but some centres quote longer minimums. Greece's centre, for example, gives three weeks for certain nationalities.
• Missing documents. If the consulate asks for more information, the decision waits until you provide it.
• Peak season. Consulates handle more applications before Easter, summer and Christmas.
• Your nationality. For nationals of countries under Article 25a measures, the standard period is 45 days.

Can you pay to speed it up?

No. There is no paid fast track for the consulate's decision. Premium services only change your experience at the visa centre.

If you have a genuine emergency, such as a seriously ill relative, contact the consulate directly with evidence. The Visa Code allows urgent cases to be decided without delay, but the consulate decides what counts as urgent.

Is the fee refunded if you are refused?

No. The fee pays for examining your application, not for a positive result. The Visa Code only refunds it if the consulate is not competent for your application or the application is inadmissible, for example because it was lodged too early. The Commission's handbook says the fee is generally not refundable "irrespective of the final decision". Service fees paid to a visa centre are not refunded either.

How long your visa lasts

The consulate decides how long your visa is valid and how many entries it allows. If you have used Schengen visas lawfully before, the Visa Code says you should receive a multiple-entry visa:

• for one year, if you have obtained and lawfully used three visas within the previous two years
• for two years, if you have lawfully used a one-year multiple-entry visa within the previous two years
• for five years, if you have lawfully used a two-year multiple-entry visa within the previous three years

The consulate can still issue a shorter visa if it has reasonable doubts. Whatever the validity, you can stay a maximum of 90 days in any 180. Our guide to the 90/180 rule explains how to count.

Get a clear quote before you apply

Want to know exactly what your application will cost and when to apply? Book a free eligibility check and we will give you the full figures for your consulate. See the fees on our pages for Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Iceland and Finland.