Planning Europe Visit? Why Schengen Visa Provides ‘Cost-To-Value’ Advantage

Schengen Visas provide travellers a "cost-to-value" advantage, opening up vacation avenues to 29 countries, according to a note from VFS India.

A Schengen Visa is a visa that grants access to the Schengen area in Europe which has 29 countries that have officially established common borders. It is named after the Schengen Agreement signed in 1985 near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg.

These countries are — Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

"Without it, (Schengen visa) one would need to apply separately for each country, incurring higher fees, more paperwork, and significant time spent visiting different embassies," the note said.

According to the note, the Schengen visa fee is a fraction of the overall expenditure of an international trip, including flights, accommodation, internal travel, dining and experiences.

"For the value it unlocks, it remains one of the most affordable and efficient travel permissions in the world," the note added.

For example, in a five-day trip to Switzerland, the biggest expense will be incurred on flights, accommodation, food, and local transport. The total cost for this aforementioned trip would be around Rs 2.15 to Rs 2.40 lakh per head. Airfare and hotel accmodations would make up for half the budget.

In comparison, the tota visa-related cost is Rs 11,790, making up roughly 5% of the whole travel budget, VFS pointed out. "Within this, the visa fee of Rs 9,100 makes up roughly 75% of the visa cost, while the service fee charged by VFS Global of Rs 2,690 is the remaining 25%," it added.

The note further said that some requirements to obtain the visa, such as proof of financial means or return tickets may prove "cumbersome" to applicants, but they are in place to maintain safety for member states, along with protecting their borders' integrity.