Getting everything ready…
What the visa costs in rupees, where and when to apply, the documents consulates expect, and what the new border systems change for Indian travellers.
Short answer: Indians still need a Schengen visa in 2026. It costs €90 (about ₹9,700) plus a VFS service fee of ₹1,933 to ₹3,111, a decision normally takes 15 days, and you can apply from six months to 15 days before you travel. ETIAS does not apply to you. EES does: your face image and fingerprints are registered at the border when you enter.
Checked on 7 Oct 2026. Visa rules change; confirm on the embassy and VFS pages for your country before you apply.
One Schengen visa lets you move between the 29 countries of the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180. That is why a single application covers a route like Vienna, Budapest and Prague, or Paris, Lucerne and Rome. Most refusals come from avoidable gaps: the wrong embassy, thin proof of funds, or an itinerary that does not match the bookings. This guide walks through each step.
The Entry/Exit System began on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational at the external borders since 10 April 2026. Your first entry takes a little longer while your face image and fingerprints are registered.
ETIAS is an online authorisation for visa-free nationalities, such as US citizens, and it has not started. You need the visa, not ETIAS. Ignore websites selling ETIAS to Indian passport holders.
VFS Global revised its Schengen service fees in India in November 2025. Reported fees now run from ₹1,933 to ₹3,111 per applicant depending on the country.
Since April 2024, Indians who have used two Schengen visas lawfully in the last three years can be issued a two-year visa, then a five-year one. The consulate still decides case by case.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa fee, adult | €90 (about ₹9,700) | Set by the EU. Collected in rupees at the rate the embassy sets. |
| Visa fee, child aged 6 to 12 | €45 (about ₹4,900) | Children under 6 do not pay the visa fee. |
| VFS Global service fee | ₹1,933 to ₹3,111 | Varies by country. Optional extras such as courier or premium lounges cost more. |
| Travel medical insurance | Varies | Minimum €30,000 cover. Price depends on age and trip length. |
| Typical total per adult | about ₹11,700 to ₹12,800, plus insurance | Not refunded if the visa is refused. |
Rupee conversions use the ECB reference rate for 7 Oct 2026, €1 = ₹108.12.
Apply to the consulate of the country where you will spend the most nights. If two or more countries tie, apply to the one you enter first. Count nights, not sights: a day trip that does not include an overnight stay does not count towards the main destination.
Example: on our A Piece of Europe tour you sleep 2 nights in Vienna, 1 in Budapest, 2 in Prague and 1 in Frankfurt. Austria and the Czech Republic tie on 2 nights each, and you enter Austria first, so you apply to Austria.
Each consulate publishes its own list, so use it as the final word. This is the core most of them ask Indian tourists for:
Consulates want to see a clear purpose, a believable route, where you sleep each night and enough money to pay for it. A guided tour gives you all four in one document: a day-by-day itinerary, named hotels, set dates and a total price. It also settles the main-destination question, because the nights are fixed.
Our guided tours come from our escorted-tour partner. The headline rupee price is per person on triple sharing, tour only; flights, the visa, transfers not included and insurance are quoted on top, and a NxVoy consultant confirms seats and the final price before you pay. A few options checked on 7 Oct 2026:
On your first entry under EES, an officer or a self-service kiosk registers your passport details, a face image and fingerprints. On later trips, your record is checked rather than created again. Your entries and exits are logged electronically, which also counts your 90 days in any 180 for you. Keep your hotel and return-flight details handy, as officers can still ask for them.
Choose a departure on the guided tours shelf and request a quote. Once a consultant confirms your seats, you have the itinerary and bookings your visa file needs. NxVoy is an IATA accredited travel agent.
Yes. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa for short visits to the Schengen area, which covers most of the EU plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The United Kingdom and Ireland are not in Schengen and need their own visas.
The visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 12, set by the EU. VFS Global adds a service fee that ranges from ₹1,933 to ₹3,111 depending on the country. At the ECB rate of 7 Oct 2026, the visa fee is about ₹9,700, so most adults pay about ₹11,700 to ₹12,800 before insurance. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.
A decision normally takes 15 days from the appointment and can be extended to 45 days if the consulate needs more checks. Getting the appointment is often the longer wait in peak seasons, so book it as soon as your dates are firm.
No. ETIAS is a travel authorisation for nationalities that do not need a visa, and it is not operating yet. Indians apply for a Schengen visa instead.
EES is the EU's Entry/Exit System. It started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. At your first entry, border officers register your passport, a face image and fingerprints, and the system then records each entry and exit digitally instead of stamping your passport.
Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights. If you spend the same number of nights in two or more countries, apply to the country you enter first.
Yes, under rules the EU adopted for India in April 2024. If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the previous three years and apply from India, you can be issued a two-year multiple-entry visa, normally followed by a five-year visa if your passport has enough validity. It is at the consulate's discretion, not automatic.
Sources, checked 7 Oct 2026: EU Home Affairs (applying for a Schengen visa; EES vs ETIAS), the European Commission's April 2024 cascade decision for India as reported, published VFS Global fee revisions for India (November 2025), and the ECB euro reference rate.
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