Effective April 12, 2024, the normal visa application price of €80 will replace the previous fee of €120 for Gambian nationals wishing to travel to Schengen zones, according to the announcement made by the Gambian Embassy in Brussels and Mission to the European Union.

The EU made the decision in 2022 to temporarily halt the application of a few clauses in the visa code to Gambia nationals. This decision was made as a result of the nation’s lack of cooperation on the readmission of foreign nationals who were unlawfully residing in the EU.

The Gambia has seen a sizable influx of citizens from EU nations since 2021.

The EU said, “Today the Council decided that the visa fee for nationals of The Gambia who wish to travel to the Schengen area will be reduced from €120 to the standard visa application fee of €80.” The statement was provided to The usual.

According to the EU, the council resolved in December 2022 to raise the usual application price for Gambia nationals to €120 due to the country’s lack of cooperation over the readmission of its citizens who are illegally residing in the EU.

Since then, The Gambia’s cooperation on readmission—including the planning of return flights and operations—has significantly and sustainably improved. A provision that allows the EU to use visa processing as leverage in its collaboration with third countries on readmission was established in the 2019 EU visa code.

The EU has not, however, reversed its decision to temporarily halt for Gambia nationals the ability of member states to waive requirements for the documents that Gambian visa applicants must submit, the 15-day processing period, the issuance of multiple entry visas, and the optional waiver of visa fees for holders of diplomatic and service passports.