French MPs reject 50-euro rise in tourist visa fees

Plans to raise the fee for French tourist visas by 50 euros were rejected by France's National Assembly on 3 November, DNAlgerie reported.

Nicolas Dragon, a deputy from the Rassemblement national, proposed a flat stamp duty for visa applications where the main reason was tourism.

The extra charge would have been added to the usual fee. It would not have applied to all French visas, and long-stay visas were not targeted.

The charge would also have applied whatever the validity of the visa or the number of entries it allowed.

For an adult paying the normal rate, the fee would have risen from 90 euros to 140 euros.

Fees already vary by age and applicant category, and some applicants are exempt from the fee.

Nicolas Dragon estimated that the charge could raise about 102m euros a year for French public finances. This was an estimate used to justify the measure, not money the state had collected.

The finance committee of the National Assembly gave an unfavourable opinion before the debate.

During the debate, the government said short-stay visa fees are set by European rules, including the EU Visa Code. Fees therefore cannot be changed freely by a national measure.

For an adult, the normal fee for a short-stay Schengen visa for France stays at 90 euros.

Children aged 6 to under 12 pay 45 euros, and children under 6 and some other groups may be exempt.