Visa Fees from India 2026: Every Country Compared
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026 · Verified against current VFS Global India fees
2026 visitor-visa fees for Indians, compared. Schengen EUR 90, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore, Japan — government fee plus service fee explained.
Quick answer: Every tourist visa has two separate charges: the government (consular) visa fee and the operator or VAC service fee. For any Schengen country the government fee is a uniform EUR 90 for adults, EUR 45 for children 6-12 and free under 6; the VFS/BLS/GVCW service fee is charged on top and paid in INR. Fees for the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and others are fixed in their own currency, so the INR amount moves with the exchange rate.
Why is there a government fee AND a service fee?
This is the single biggest source of confusion for Indian travellers, so let's clear it up first. When you apply for a visitor visa, you are almost always paying two different organisations:
Goes to the destination country's embassy. This is the "visa fee" proper — EUR 90 for Schengen, USD 185 for a US B1/B2, and so on. It is the same whether you apply yourself or through an agency.
Goes to the outsourcing partner (VFS Global, BLS, GVCW, TLScontact) that runs the application centre, takes your biometrics and couriers your passport. This varies by country and is charged in INR.
On top of these two, optional add-ons exist — premium lounge, courier return of passport, SMS updates, photocopying. They are never compulsory. If a centre implies they are, that is a red flag.
Schengen visa fee from India in 2026
All 29 Schengen countries — France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria and the rest — charge the same government fee for a short-stay (Type C) tourist visa. This has been uniform since 11 June 2024.
| Applicant | Consular fee (EUR) | Approx INR* |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | EUR 90 | ~INR 9,990 |
| Child 6-11 years | EUR 45 | ~INR 4,995 |
| Child under 6 years | Free | Free |
*The consular fee is recalculated by the embassy roughly every few months against the ECB EUR/INR reference rate, so the exact rupee figure shifts. Greece's centre, for example, currently lists EUR 90 as INR 9,990.
The service fee is charged separately and is not the same across Schengen states, because different countries use different operators:
- VFS Global (France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands and most others): typically INR 600-2,700 depending on country.
- BLS International (Spain): around INR 1,802.
- GVCW (Greece): a flat EUR 30, payable in INR.
Tip: Children under 6 pay zero government fee — but the operator may still charge its service fee for them, since a file is still processed. Budget for it.
The big 2026 visa-fee comparison table
Here are the government fees for the destinations Indians ask about most, with an approximate INR conversion and a note on the separate service fee. Treat INR figures as a guide — they float with the exchange rate.
| Destination | Government visa fee | Approx INR | Operator + service fee (separate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any Schengen country France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, etc. | EUR 90 adult / EUR 45 child 6-11 / free under 6 | ~INR 9,990 adult | VFS ~INR 600-2,700; BLS (Spain) ~INR 1,802; GVCW (Greece) EUR 30 |
| UK Standard Visitor (6 months) | GBP-denominated, fixed in INR by the operator | ~INR 17,551 | VFS service + optional add-ons; biometrics at VAC |
| UK Standard Visitor (2 years) | — | ~INR 65,785 | as above |
| UK Standard Visitor (5 years) | — | ~INR 117,398 | as above |
| UK Standard Visitor (10 years) | — | ~INR 146,651 | as above |
| USA B1/B2 (visitor) | USD 185 (MRV fee) | ~INR 15,900 | MRV fee is all-in; no separate VAC fee (interview at consulate/VAC) |
| Canada Visitor / TRV | CAD 100 + CAD 85 biometrics = CAD 185 | ~INR 11,600 | VFS handles biometrics; small VAC service fee applies |
| Australia Visitor (subclass 600) | Paid online in ImmiAccount (AUD) | See official page | No VFS visa fee — paid direct to Home Affairs; VFS charges only if you use its service centre |
| UAE Tourist (30-day, single entry) | All-inclusive INR package | ~INR 7,735 (express ~INR 9,870) | Package price already includes service charge & tax |
| UAE Tourist (30-day multi / 60-day) | All-inclusive INR package | ~INR 10,905 / ~INR 17,595 | as above |
| Singapore Tourist | INR 2,100 (S$30) | INR 2,100 | + INR 1,180 service fee (incl GST) |
| Japan Tourist (single entry, Indians) | INR 500 (multiple INR 1,000) — effective 01 Apr 2026 | INR 500 | + ~INR 800 service charge / ~INR 550 VAC fee (incl taxes) |
| Thailand Tourist | Now via e-Visa portal — see official page | See official page | VFS service fee ~INR 500/application for centre-lodged categories |
Warning: Do not treat these rupee figures as final quotes. Government fees are set in foreign currency; the operator converts them at the day's rate. Always confirm the live amount on the official application page before you pay.
Why do the same visa fees keep changing in rupees?
Because most fees are fixed in the destination's currency, not rupees. A Schengen visa is legally EUR 90 — whether that is INR 9,700 or INR 10,100 depends entirely on the EUR/INR rate on the day the embassy last recalibrated. The Greece centre, for instance, states plainly that its fee "is calculated daily on the EUR/INR exchange rate provided by the European Central Bank."
The same logic applies to the US (USD), UK (GBP), Canada (CAD) and Australia (AUD). If the rupee weakens, your visa costs more in INR even though nothing changed at the embassy. This is normal and not a scam.
How to "calculate" your own visa fee
There is no magic calculator — the reliable method is:
- Find the consular fee in the destination's currency on the official embassy or VAC page.
- Multiply by today's exchange rate for an INR estimate.
- Add the operator/VAC service fee (listed separately on the same page).
- Add any optional add-ons you actually want (courier, premium).
How do you pay the visa fee?
At a VFS/BLS/GVCW centre in India, fees are paid in INR at the counter — cash, card, or UPI depending on the centre. Some countries (Australia's subclass 600, most e-Visas like UAE, Thailand, and increasingly others) are paid online by card before you attend or without any centre visit at all.
Fees are generally non-refundable even if your visa is refused — you are paying for processing, not for a guaranteed grant. Japan is a rare exception: its consular fee is refunded if the visa is not approved, though the service charge is not.
Not sure which centre to visit or what to carry? Our guide to VFS application centres in India lists locations, appointment tips and what happens on the day.
Which is the "cheapest" tourist visa for Indians?
On government fee alone, short-hop destinations win. Japan's INR 500 consular fee and UAE's mid-single-digit-thousand packages are far lighter than a long-validity UK visitor visa running well past a lakh. But cheapest-on-paper is the wrong lens — a longer-validity UK or a multi-year visa can be better value if you travel often, and a low fee means little if your file is weak and gets refused.
The real cost driver is refusal. A rejected application means the fee is gone and you re-pay from scratch. Getting the documentation right the first time is where the money is actually saved.
Not sure which visa fits your profile or budget? Take our free 60-second visa profile check on the SureshotVisa homepage — it flags the right destination, likely fee band and documents for you. See flat, all-in pricing on our pricing page. We then file the entire application for you: forms, fee payment, appointment and document checks, so you don't pay a fee twice for an avoidable mistake.
Frequently asked questions
The government (consular) fee is a uniform EUR 90 for adults, EUR 45 for children aged 6-11, and free for children under 6, across all Schengen countries. In rupees that is roughly INR 9,990 for an adult, though the exact figure moves with the EUR/INR rate. A separate operator service fee (VFS, BLS or GVCW) is charged on top.
The consular fee is the same EUR 90 — Greece is a Schengen country, so its short-stay Type C fee matches the rest. What differs is the operator: Greece uses GVCW, which adds a flat EUR 30 service fee (payable in INR), whereas most other Schengen states use VFS.
The Australian visitor visa (subclass 600) fee is set in Australian dollars and paid online through your ImmiAccount directly to the Department of Home Affairs — there is no VFS visa fee. Because it is AUD-denominated, the INR cost changes with the exchange rate, so check the current amount on the official Home Affairs page before paying.
Because most visa fees are fixed in the destination's own currency (EUR, USD, GBP, CAD, AUD), not in rupees. The embassy or operator converts to INR at the current exchange rate, so when the rupee weakens the INR amount rises even though the underlying fee is unchanged.
The visa (consular) fee goes to the destination country's government and covers processing your application. The service fee goes to the outsourcing partner — VFS, BLS, GVCW or TLScontact — that runs the application centre, collects biometrics and couriers your passport. Both are charged, usually separately, on the same day.
The US visitor visa (B1/B2) MRV fee is USD 185, which is roughly INR 15,900 depending on the exchange rate. This fee is all-inclusive — there is no separate VFS visa fee — and you pay it before booking your consular or VAC appointment.
Generally no. Visa and service fees pay for processing, not for a grant, and are non-refundable even on refusal. Japan is an exception: it refunds the consular fee if the visa is not approved, but not the service charge. This is why getting your documents right the first time matters financially.
There is no single official calculator, because fees float with exchange rates. The dependable method is to take the consular fee from the official embassy or VAC page, convert it at today's rate, then add the listed operator service fee and any optional add-ons. Always confirm the live figure on the official page before paying.
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Written by
Paramjit SinghVisa Documentation & Case Support · B.Tech, Computer Science (2007)
Paramjit Singh focuses on the structure behind a strong visa file: the purpose, the supporting documents, the financial explanation and the return-ties logic. He keeps applications organised so the file never looks scattered, incomplete or contradictory.
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