Switzerland’s Vfs Service Charge Hike: A 127% Increase In Visa Fees Impacting Indian Travelers, Here’s What You Need To Know

Published on August 21, 2025

For Indians readying a European holiday, nan dream of exploring nan picturesque Swiss Alps aliases indulging successful nan charm of Paris has now go importantly much expensive. Recent changes successful nan Schengen visa exertion process person seen work charges skyrocket, pinch a steep summation of 127% successful conscionable complete a year. This surge, chiefly driven by VFS Global, nan agency responsible for processing visa applications, has raised concerns among Indian travelers, particularly arsenic visa costs proceed to rise.

VFS Global: A Middleman successful nan Visa Process

VFS Global serves arsenic nan intermediary betwixt visa applicants and nan respective embassies. Although nan institution doesn’t assistance visas directly, it plays a captious domiciled successful handling archive collection, biometric enrollment, and assignment scheduling. With astir embassies discontinuing nonstop walk-in services, applicants are now forced to trust connected VFS Global, making its work charges non-negotiable.

Rising Service Fees and Their Impact

In 2025, nan work charges imposed by VFS Global person been revised twice—once successful January and again successful April. These revisions person drastically accrued nan costs of obtaining a visa. While nan Schengen visa interest for adults remains astir ₹8,000-10,000, nan work fee, which VFS Global charges connected apical of this, has go a mandatory add-on. Moreover, applicants are besides required to salary for courier and SMS updates to way nan position of their applications, further inflating nan wide cost.

Below are immoderate of nan notable value hikes for work charges from various European countries:

• Switzerland: Rs 1,850 to Rs 2,680 (+45%)
• Austria: Rs 1,942 to Rs 2,649 (+36%)
• France: Rs 1,950 to Rs 2,202 (+13%)
• Germany: Rs 1,806 to Rs 1,933 (+7%)
• Greece: Rs 2,925 to Rs 3,025 (+3%)
• The Netherlands: Rs 1,636 to Rs 1,700 (+4%)

Looking backmost astatine 2024, Switzerland’s work complaint was Rs 1,180 successful March. The existent rate, Rs 2,680, reflects a staggering 127% increase successful conscionable complete a year. Similar hikes are evident crossed different Schengen nations arsenic well.

Additional Costs: Courier and SMS Fees

Aside from nan rising work charges, travelers must besides contend pinch further fees for courier and SMS updates. These charges, which tin scope from ₹500 to ₹1,455, are considered non-negotiable by VFS Global. For instance:

• Switzerland: Rs 930 for courier and Rs 450 for SMS updates
• France: Rs 550 for courier and Rs 240 for SMS updates
• The Netherlands: Rs 1,455 for courier services

For galore applicants, these further fees whitethorn look minor, but they quickly accumulate, particularly for families applying together. When mixed pinch nan mandatory work charges, nan costs of obtaining a Schengen visa tin easy transcend ₹12,000 per person, making it a important financial burden.

Impact connected Indian Travelers

For Indian travelers, nan implications of these rising charges are clear. What utilized to beryllium an already costly matter has go moreover much expensive. With nan summation successful work charges and nan further courier and SMS fees, nan dream of exploring Europe has been pushed further retired of scope for many, particularly erstwhile mixed pinch already rising costs for airfares, accommodation, and recreation insurance.

This emergence successful visa charges adds to nan increasing database of expenses for travelers, making it harder to spend a European holiday. The steep hikes without capable mentation from VFS Global and nan embassies person near galore wondering whether nan services provided warrant nan accrued costs.

Why Are These Charges Increasing?

VFS Global has defended nan value hikes by claiming that nan services offered, specified arsenic biometric enrollment, archive collection, and assignment scheduling, warrant nan increase. However, nan abrupt and crisp rises successful charges person not been accompanied by clear connection from nan company, which has led to a increasing consciousness of vexation among applicants.

Given that nan work charges are now a fixed portion of nan visa exertion process, travelers person nary prime but to judge nan accrued fees if they wish to proceed pinch their applications. The deficiency of transparency regarding these hikes has only fueled nationalist discontent.

What Can Indian Travelers Do?

For those readying their European travels, it is basal to facet successful these accrued costs erstwhile budgeting for their trip. While nan higher work charges cannot beryllium avoided, travelers tin effort to mitigate nan wide costs by opting for courier services that connection nan champion worth aliases by cautiously evaluating whether they request SMS updates for their exertion status.

Additionally, travelers whitethorn want to research ways to streamline different aspects of their recreation budget, specified arsenic opting for much affordable accommodations aliases uncovering lower-cost proscription options. However, pinch these further fees, nan wide acquisition of readying a European travel has undoubtedly go much costly for Indians.

In conclusion, nan 127% increase successful VFS Global work charges for Switzerland Schengen visas highlights a broader rumor pinch rising recreation costs for Indian tourists. The hike successful fees, on pinch nan further charges for courier services and SMS notifications, has made obtaining a Schengen visa overmuch much expensive. While nan work charges are a basal portion of nan visa exertion process, nan deficiency of transparency regarding these increases has created disorder and vexation among travelers. As Indian visitors proceed to look rising recreation costs, it is evident that nan value of visiting Europe has go much daunting than ever.