Since July 8, 2024, the Italian visa application center in Moscow has started accepting only the new format of Schengen visa applications, reports ATOR. The Bulgarian visa center in St. Petersburg introduced new forms on June 28, and in Moscow on July 4. The new forms became mandatory in the Hungarian visa center in Moscow on July 1.
According to tour operators, the new Italian form has few changes:
- The appearance of the document has been altered;
- A section for “Surname and first name of the person filling out the form, if different from the applicant” has been added.
Since June 11, 2024, the cost of a Schengen visa has increased:
- The fee for adults has risen from €80 to €90;
- For children aged six to 12, the fee has increased from €40 to €45.
However, according to ATOR (Association of Tour Operators), the price increase has not affected the demand for Schengen visas. Tour operators warn that the processing time for documents may take several weeks.
According to the European Commission, the number of Schengen visa applications exceeded 10.3 million in 2023, a 37% increase compared to the previous year. In Russia, 520 thousand applications were submitted compared to 687 thousand in 2022, with a refusal rate of 10.6% compared to 10.2% the previous year.
