According to Schengen Statistics, the number of individuals applying for a Schengen Visa in India during 2022 has reached a total of 76,352. This influx of applicants has resulted in India’s Schengen visa application fees exceeding €6.1 (approx. 9.95 AUD) million.
As reported by SchengenVisaInfo.com, the applicants have paid a fee of €80 (approx. 130.55 AUD) for their visa applications, with the highest amount of fees collected at the Mumbai consulate, totalling €4.4 (approx. 7.18 AUD) million.
Following closely behind, the New Delhi and Bangalore consulates have accumulated approximately €1.1 (approx. 1.80 AUD) million and €508,000 (approx. 828988.76 AUD), respectively, from visa application fees. The number of applicants at the New Delhi consulate amounts to 13,341, while the Bangalore consulate has received 6,345 applications.
As per the aforementioned data, it has been revealed that the Bangalore consulate in India declined 13 visa applications, resulting in expenses amounting to €1,040 (approx.1697 AUD) for these applicants. Furthermore, the Mumbai consulate incurred expenses of €586,800 (approx. 957580 AUD) for applicants whose visa applications were denied, totalling 7,335 visas.
Likewise, the New Delhi consulate experienced 1,519 rejections, resulting in a loss of €121,520 (approx. 198304.55 AUD) in expenses. The Kolkata and Chennai consulates saw three and five applications being rejected, respectively, resulting in a loss of €240 (approx. 391.65 AUD) and €400 (approx. 652.75 AUD) in visa fees.
In terms of overall numbers, India stands as the third-highest country in terms of Schengen visa applicants, with a total of 671,928 applications. The cumulative expenditure for these applications amounts to €53.7 (approx. 87.63 AUD) million. This figure places Indian applicants behind those from Russia and Turkey in terms of application volume.
Russian nationals submitted a total of 687,239 applications, resulting in expenses of €54.9 (approx. 89.59 AUD) million for visa application fees. Similarly, Turkish applicants filed 778,409 applications, amounting to €62.2 (approx. 101.50 AUD) million spent on visa fees.
In addition, the Bangalore Consulate recorded 24 applications for airport transit visas, while the Mumbai, New Delhi, and Chennai consulates received 122, 20, and 1 application, respectively. This brings the total number of transit visa applications to 167. The recognition rate for these applications was generally high, except for the Mumbai and New Delhi consulates, where the non-issuance rate for airport transit visas stood at 16.7% and 25%, respectively.
Regarding the rates of not issuing uniform visas, the highest percentage was observed at the Mumbai consulate, with a rate of 12.9%, followed by approximately 10.8% at the New Delhi consulate. Similar rates were also evident for the non-issuance of airport transit visas and uniform visa applications, with Mumbai having a rate of 12.9% and New Delhi having a rate of 10.9%, as per the report.
The Schengen visa fees applicable to Indian citizens are set at €80, which is equivalent to approx. 130.55 AUD. Children aged between six and twelve are eligible for a reduced fee of €40 (approx. 65.27 AUD). Children under the age of six are exempt from any Schengen visa fee payment.
Applicants are required to make the visa fee payment in Indian rupees at the time of submitting their Schengen visa application. This payment can be made at the embassy/consulate of the EU/Schengen country or at a designated visa centre located within India.
