Planning that much-awaited family trip to Europe? Well, before you pack your bags for Paris or book your ski chalet in the Swiss Alps, prepare for a hefty increase in visa costs.
For Indian travellers, getting a Schengen visa was already an expensive part of the journey. But now, VFS Global, the private company that processes most visa applications for European countries, has hiked its service charges twice in 2025 alone. And Switzerland, one of the most popular travel hotspots, has seen an astonishing 127% jump in fees in just over a year.
Not Just Visa Fees – The “Service Charges”
It’s important to know that the visa fee itself hasn’t changed much. A Schengen visa for adults still costs around ₹8,000–10,000.
The big dent in your pocket comes from VFS Global’s service charges – fees you can’t avoid since most embassies no longer accept direct walk-in applications. VFS handles everything from:
- Collecting and verifying documents
- Taking biometrics
- Scheduling appointments
In short, you can’t bypass VFS, and that means paying the fee is mandatory, not optional.
How Much Have the VFS Fees Increased?
The hikes in 2025 alone:
- Switzerland: ₹1,850 → ₹2,680 (+45%)
- Austria: ₹1,942 → ₹2,649 (+36%)
- France: ₹1,950 → ₹2,202 (+13%)
- Germany: ₹1,806 → ₹1,933 (+7%)
- Greece: ₹2,925 → ₹3,025 (+3%)
- The Netherlands: ₹1,636 → ₹1,700 (+4%)
Looking further back, the numbers are even more eye-popping.
- Switzerland’s VFS charge in March 2024: ₹1,180
- Switzerland’s fee now (Aug 2025): ₹2,680
That’s a 127% increase in just 17 months.
Other Schengen countries aren’t far behind. Current VFS fees stand at:
- Belgium: ₹2,475
- Iceland: ₹2,655
- Portugal: ₹1,992
- Italy: ₹1,579
- Latvia: ₹2,422
- Malta: ₹2,264
- Lithuania: ₹1,788
- Slovenia: ₹2,428
Hidden Extra Costs: Courier & SMS
It doesn’t stop at the service charge. VFS adds additional courier and SMS fees – small at first glance, but costly when multiplied across families.
- Courier fees: ₹500 – ₹1,455
- SMS updates: ₹300 – ₹800
Examples:
- Switzerland: Courier ₹930 + SMS ₹450
- France: Courier ₹550 + SMS ₹240
- The Netherlands: Courier a steep ₹1,455
Combine these add-ons with the visa + service charge, and an average Indian traveller is shelling out well over ₹12,000 per person just to get a Schengen visa stamped.
Why This Matters for Indian Travellers
At first glance, a few hundred rupees more per person might not sound alarming. But for families applying together, these “add-ons” quickly pile up.
Imagine a family of four applying for Swiss visas in 2025:
- Visa fee: ~₹9,000 x 4 = ₹36,000
- Service charge: ~₹2,680 x 4 = ₹10,720
- Courier + SMS: ~₹1,380 x 4 = ₹5,520
- Total upfront cost = Over ₹52,000 – before flight tickets are even booked.
With airfares, hotels, insurance, and daily expenses already stretching travel budgets, this steep increase makes the European dream that much harder for Indian tourists.
Final Thoughts
Europe remains a dream destination for millions of Indians. But thanks to repeated hikes by VFS Global, the true cost of a Schengen visa has quietly skyrocketed. Switzerland leads the way with a shocking 127% hike since 2024, and other European destinations aren’t far behind.
For Indian travellers, it’s no longer just airfare or hotels that burn a hole in the pocket – now, even the paperwork to enter Europe comes with a premium price tag.
If you’re planning a trip, budget carefully. Because in 2025, getting a Schengen visa isn’t just about documents and queues – it’s about paying a lot more before your journey even begins.
