How much is the Schengen visa fee for Indians in 2026?

The Schengen visa fee is 90 euros for adults, 45 euros for children aged 6 to 12, and free for children under 6. It is the same for all 29 Schengen countries. In India you also pay a VFS service charge of roughly 1,800 to 3,100 rupees plus biometrics, so the official cost typically comes to around 11,000 to 16,000 rupees per adult before travel insurance. Our service charge is separate and quoted upfront.

How long does a Schengen visa take from India?

By law a consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of your appointment, though it can extend to 30 to 45 days during the busy summer season or if extra checks are needed. We recommend applying at least 4 to 8 weeks before travel; you can apply up to 6 months ahead.

Which Schengen country is easiest for Indians to get a visa from?

You must apply through the country where you will spend the most nights, so you cannot freely pick the easiest one. That said, smaller-volume countries such as Lithuania, Iceland, Switzerland, Italy and Spain tend to have higher approval rates than very high-volume embassies. The strength of your documents matters far more than the country.

What is the Schengen visa approval rate for Indians?

Indian applicants average roughly 85 percent approval across all Schengen countries. In 2024 Indians filed over 1.1 million applications with about a 15 percent rejection rate. A well-prepared file with clear funds, a genuine itinerary and strong ties to India dramatically improves your chances.

Is travel insurance mandatory for a Schengen visa?

Yes. You must show travel insurance covering at least 30,000 euros of medical and repatriation costs, valid across the entire Schengen Area for your full trip. Weak or incomplete insurance is a common reason for refusal.

Which country should I apply to if I am visiting several Schengen countries?

Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If you spend equal nights in more than one country, apply to the country you will enter first. Applying through the wrong consulate is a common cause of refusal.

Schengen Visa for Indians 2026 — Fee, Documents, Process & Approval Rates

A Schengen visa lets Indian passport holders travel freely across up to 29 European countries — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Greece and more — on a single short-stay visa. There are no internal border checks once you're inside the Schengen Area. For a holiday, honeymoon, family visit or business trip, this is the visa most Indians need for Europe.

The catch is that the application is detail-heavy: financial proof, a consistent day-by-day itinerary, the right insurance, and applying through the correct consulate. Small mistakes lead to refusals — and the fee is non-refundable even if you're rejected. That's where careful preparation pays for itself. At Flynk Tours (Delhi NCR), we build your file correctly the first time.

Fees Visa types Documents Country-wise rates Process Tips to avoid rejection Get help ↓

Embassy fee

€90

Adult · €45 child 6–12 · free under 6

Typical total cost

₹11k–16k

Official fees + VFS; insurance & our service extra

Processing

15 days

By law; 30–45 in peak summer

Max stay

90 / 180

90 days in any 180-day window

Cost

Schengen visa fees from India — 2026

The embassy fee is identical for all 29 countries. Your total varies mainly because of VFS service charges and insurance.

Item	Approximate amount	Notes
Embassy visa fee — adult	€90 (~₹8,200–9,100)	Same for every Schengen country; non-refundable
Embassy visa fee — child 6–12	€45	Children under 6 are free
VFS service charge	~₹1,800 – ₹3,100	Varies by country and centre
Biometric enrolment	~₹600 – ₹1,000	Fingerprints + photo (once every 5 years)
Travel insurance (mandatory)	~₹1,500 – ₹3,000	Min. €30,000 medical cover for the whole trip
Typical official total	₹11,000 – ₹16,000	Per adult, before our service charge

All embassy and VFS fees are non-refundable, even if your visa is refused — which is exactly why a well-prepared file matters. Our service charge is quoted separately and shared with you upfront, so you always know the full cost before you commit. Fees are indicative and set by the authorities; we confirm exact figures for your country at the time of applying.

Know your visa

Types of Schengen visas

Most Indian tourists need a Type C short-stay visa. Here's the full picture so you choose correctly.

Type C · Most common

Short-Stay (Uniform) Visa

For tourism, visiting family or friends, and business trips. Lets you travel across all Schengen countries for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This is the visa most Indian travellers apply for.

Type A

Airport Transit Visa

For changing flights inside the international transit zone of a Schengen airport without entering the country. Needed for certain connecting routes; if you must leave the transit area, you need a Type C instead.

Type D · Long stay

National Visa

For stays longer than 90 days — work, study or long-term residence in one specific country. This is a national visa, not a tourist visa, with its own process and fees set by that country.

LTV

Limited Territorial Validity

A special visa valid only for the specific country or countries named on it, rather than the whole Schengen Area. Issued in exceptional cases such as humanitarian or national-interest reasons.

Single, double & multiple entry

Entry type	What it means	Best for
Single entry	One entry only. Once you leave the Schengen Area, the visa is used up — even if days remain.	A single trip to Europe
Double entry	Two entries within the validity period.	A trip that briefly exits and re-enters Schengen
Multiple entry (MEV)	Unlimited entries within the validity (1, 3 or 5 years), always respecting the 90/180 rule. A 5-year MEV usually needs a strong prior travel history.	Frequent travellers

The fee is the same regardless of how many entries or how long the validity. We'll advise which entry type to request based on your travel plans and history.

Checklist

Documents required for a Schengen visa

The standard tourist-visa checklist for Indian applicants. We tailor it to your destination and profile.

Passport valid at least 3 months beyond your return date, with 2+ blank pages (and any old passports)
Completed and signed Schengen visa application form
Two recent photos to Schengen specification (35×45 mm, white background)
Travel insurance with minimum €30,000 medical cover, valid across all Schengen countries
Confirmed round-trip flight reservation (booking, not necessarily paid)
Hotel bookings or accommodation proof for the entire stay
Day-by-day travel itinerary that matches your bookings
Last 6 months' personal bank statements
Income Tax Returns (ITR) for the last 3 years
Employment proof — leave letter & ID card; or business proof if self-employed
Cover letter explaining your trip, who is paying, and your ties to India
Proof of funds — sufficient balance for your trip duration

💡 A note on biometrics & EES

First-time applicants (or those whose biometrics are older than 5 years) must give fingerprints and a photo at the VFS centre. From 2026, the EU's biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) is active at Schengen borders — it digitally records your entry and exit, so overstays are detected automatically. Stick to the 90/180 rule carefully.

Country by country

Approval rates & notes by Schengen country

Approval rates below are broad indicators and shift each year. Remember: you must apply through the country where you'll spend the most nights — and your own documents matter far more than any country average.

📋 One fee, one document list, one timeline — all 29 countries

A key thing many travellers don't realise: the €90 fee, the document checklist and the 15-day legal processing time are the same whether you apply to France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland or Italy. What actually differs between countries is the approval rate, VFS service charge and appointment availability — which is what the table below focuses on.

Country	Indicative approval*	What to know
France	Moderate	Hugely popular, very high volume — scrutiny is stricter. Strong files still get approved.
Germany	Moderate	High volume and detail-focused. Documentation must be precise and consistent.
Spain	Good	Generally a good record for Indian applicants with complete, genuine documents.
Italy	Good (~88%)	Popular and accessible, with a solid approval record in recent years.
Switzerland	High (~87%)	Consistent and efficient processing. (Switzerland is non-EU but part of Schengen.)
Netherlands	Good	Straightforward for well-documented applicants.
Greece	Good	Flexible for tourists; summer appointment slots fill fast, so book early.
Iceland	Very high (~93%)	One of the highest approval rates — but lower-volume, so plan appointments early.
Lithuania	Very high (~95%+)	Among the most visa-friendly Schengen states; efficient processing.
Austria	Good	Reliable processing for complete applications.

*Indicative approval bands based on recent published Schengen statistics and consumer data for Indian/overall applicants in 2024–2025; rates change yearly and by individual profile. Overall, Indian applicants average roughly 85% approval; in 2024 Indians filed over 1.1 million applications with about a 15% rejection rate. You must apply through the country where you'll spend the most nights — you cannot simply choose the "easiest" one. We help you apply correctly and strongly.

Step by step

The Schengen visa process

Here's exactly how it works when you apply with Flynk.

1

Plan & pick the right consulate

We confirm which country you apply through (where you'll spend the most nights) and the right visa type.

2

Prepare documents

We give you a tailored checklist, review everything, and write a strong cover letter and itinerary.

3

VFS appointment & biometrics

We book your VFS slot and brief you on the visit, biometrics and any questions.

4

Decision & travel

You collect your passport with the visa, and we can plan your flights, hotels and full Europe trip.

Apply at least 4–8 weeks before travel (you can apply up to 6 months ahead). Summer slots fill very fast — book early.

Avoid refusal

Top reasons Schengen visas get rejected

Most refusals are avoidable. These are the patterns we fix before you ever submit.

🏠

Weak ties to India

The single biggest reason. We help you show strong reasons to return — job, business, family, property.

💰

Insufficient or unclear funds

Thin balances or sudden large deposits raise flags. We guide you on healthy, consistent financials.

🗺️

Vague or mismatched itinerary

Bookings that don't match your stated plan cause refusals. We align flights, hotels and itinerary.

🏢

Wrong consulate

Applying to the wrong country is a common, avoidable error. We confirm the correct one for your trip.

🛡️

Incomplete insurance

Cover below €30,000 or not valid Schengen-wide gets refused. We make sure your policy qualifies.

📄

Missing or inconsistent documents

Small gaps and contradictions sink applications. We review every page before submission.

Our honest promise

No agent can guarantee a Schengen visa — the consulate always makes the final decision. What we promise is a genuinely strong, complete and consistent application that gives you the best possible chance, and honest advice about your profile before you spend a rupee on fees.

Schengen Inquiry

Start your Schengen application

Share a few details and a consultant will reply within 30 minutes during business hours.

Full Name (as per passport)

Phone / WhatsApp

Email

Main destination country

Purpose

Applicants

Preferred Travel Date

Applied for Schengen before?

Notes / Special Requirements

✅ Opening WhatsApp with your details…

FAQ

Schengen visa questions, answered

The embassy fee is €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6–12, and free for under-6s — the same for all 29 Schengen countries. In India you also pay a VFS service charge (~₹1,800–3,100) plus biometrics, so the official cost typically comes to ₹11,000–16,000 per adult before travel insurance. Our service charge is separate and quoted upfront.

By law a consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of your appointment, though it can stretch to 30–45 days in peak summer or if extra checks are needed. Apply at least 4–8 weeks before travel; you can apply up to 6 months ahead.

You must apply through the country where you'll spend the most nights, so you can't freely pick the easiest. That said, smaller-volume countries like Lithuania, Iceland, Switzerland, Italy and Spain tend to have higher approval rates than very high-volume embassies. Your documents matter far more than the country.

Indian applicants average roughly 85% approval across all Schengen countries. In 2024 Indians filed over 1.1 million applications with about a 15% rejection rate. A well-prepared file — clear funds, a genuine itinerary and strong ties to India — dramatically improves your chances.

No. ETIAS is only for visa-exempt nationalities — Indians still need a full Schengen visa. Separately, the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) is now active at Schengen borders and records your fingerprints and a facial scan.

Yes. You must show travel insurance covering at least €30,000 of medical and repatriation costs, valid across the whole Schengen Area for your entire trip. Weak or incomplete insurance is a common reason for refusal.

Apply to the country where you'll spend the most nights. If nights are equal across countries, apply to the one you enter first. Applying through the wrong consulate is a common cause of refusal — we confirm the right one for you.

Explore more

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Schengen Visa for Indians, made simple