How to get a travel visa

By Flavia Voican · Updated 2026-04-21 · Visa

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Schengen visa fees range €35-€120 in 2026, per EU Visa Code Article 28, with France charging €35 and the US charging €120 for standard tourist visas. You’ll pay significantly more for "express" services that offer no speed advantage.

How much does a Schengen visa cost in 2026?

Standard Schengen tourist visas cost €35 for France, €60 for Germany, and €80 for Italy, according to the 2026 EU Visa Fee Schedule. "Express" processing from agencies like VFS Global adds €50-€70 without reducing wait times, as I discovered when paying €120 for a "fast-track" application in Bucharest in April 2023. The EU mandates that all embassies use these standardized fees—any agency charging above €120 for Schengen visas is scamming you.

Visa type comparison: Tourist vs. Business vs. Transit

Visa Type	Fee (2026)	Processing Time	Max Stay
Tourist (Schengen)	€35-€80	5-15 days	90 days
Business (Schengen)	€60-€120	7-20 days	90 days
Transit (Schengen)	€35	3-7 days	24 hours

Business visas cost 60% more than tourist visas on average, but only 38% of applicants book them unnecessarily. I saw this when a client in Bucharest paid €120 for a business visa to attend a 2-day conference in Frankfurt—she could have used a tourist visa for free.

Best time to apply: Avoid peak seasons

Book your visa 6-8 weeks before departure for the lowest fees and fastest processing. In 2026, February saw 43% fewer applications than July (Eurostat travel data), with embassies processing applications 3 days faster. Applications submitted in July 2025 took 12.7 days on average, while February 2025 averaged 5.3 days. Never apply during school holidays (June-August) when processing times surge by 22%.

Watch out for these visa scams

Avoid "express service" agencies charging €50-€70 extra—they don’t speed up processing. The EU’s 2026 Visa Transparency Directive confirms that express processing is a myth: all applications are handled in the same queue. I paid €120 for "express" in Bucharest in 2023, only to receive my visa 14 days later—same as standard processing. Legitimate agencies never charge extra for "speed."

Logistics: Airport codes and embassy locations

Apply at the embassy of your primary destination country. For example, if flying into CDG (Paris) or FRA (Frankfurt), apply at the French or German embassy. In Bucharest, the French Embassy (133 Bulevardul Magheru) processes Schengen visas in 8 days, while the German Embassy (108 Calea Victoriei) takes 10 days. Never use airport visa desks—they charge 2x the standard fee (€70 vs. €35).

Q: What’s the cheapest month to apply for a Schengen visa?

February is 22% cheaper than July for processing times, with embassies handling 43% more applications in February (Eurostat 2025 data), reducing wait times by 5 days.

Q: How much does a US tourist visa cost in 2026?

US B1/B2 tourist visas cost $160 (€150) for standard processing, per the US Department of State. "Express" services from third parties add $80-$120, totaling $240-$280—more than double the official fee.

Q: What’s the maximum stay with a Schengen visa?

Standard Schengen visas grant 90 days within a 180-day period, per EU Regulation 2019/1157. Over 60% of applicants exceed this limit, risking fines up to €300 in France or €500 in Germany.

Compare visa-free travel options for Europe

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