EU Visas are now € 80 instead of the previous € 60, European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said.

He described the increase as "moderate". Mamer added that it would allow the necessary resources to be maintained to process applications, as well as to track potential security and illegal migration risks.

The increase is the first of its kind since 2006.

The new EU rules on short-stay visas make it easier for the millions of legitimate travellers who visit the EU every year to apply for a visa, facilitating tourism and business, while providing more resources for countering irregular migration risks and threats to internal security, The European Commission said on its website.

The applications procedure becomes more user-friendly: travellers may, for example, submit visa applications up to 6 months ahead of a planned trip, instead of 3 months previously. Multiple-entry, long-validity visas are easier to obtain for frequent travellers, saving them time and money. However, the visa fee is increased from €60 to €80 which will help maintain sufficient resources to process applications and detect potential security and irregular migration risks. The increase is the first one since 2006 and is in line with inflation.

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