Tourism escapes jump in visa fees

Sometimes being a new member state has its advantages. Cyprus has managed to escape a large increase in visa fees for non-EU nationals that was agreed by EU ministers last week, thus avoiding what would have been another blow to a sector that is already facing higher airport taxes and airfares.

EU interior ministers agreed after much arguing last week to increase the visa fee from EUR 35 to EUR 60 for visits of less than 90 days. However, the rules only apply to non-EU nationals entering EU countries that are part of the Schengen area.

There are 15 countries in total: 13 from the EU and two (Iceland and Norway) from outside the EU.

Cyprus, along with other new EU members and the two non-participating countries, UK and Ireland, is not part of the Schengen area.

This means that non-EU nationals visiting Cyprus will continue to pay the present EUR 10 fee.

The advantage of a Schengen visa is that travellers holding such a pass can travel from one EU country to another without restriction, which is why they can fetch over a thousand euros on the black market.

However, many east European member states argued against the increase, saying that it would be too high for visitors from their poorer neighbouring countries once they joined the Schengen agreement.

The EUR 60 visa fee is said to represent half of the average monthly wage in Serbia, for example.

However, old member states, facing a popular backlash against immigration, argued that the fee increase was needed to cover the costs of biometric and fingerprinting technology.

The new visa fee will apply to Schengen countries from January 1, 2007 at the latest.

However, the fee for Russians entering the Schengen area will remain at EUR 35 according to sources at the Cyprus interior ministry, because a visa agreement with Russia stating that fee had already been signed.

The visa fee is also abolished for children under 6, students and their accompanying teachers and researchers travelling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research.

Fiona Mullen