How much will Schengen visa application cost me in Nigeria? This is one of the many questions that many people especially tourists and business moguls would like to pay a visit to the Schengen states for their special purposes. The Schengen visa application differs from Nigeria, especially in the cost and other expenses that it will cost a potential traveler. Due to the dollar rates, the pricing is not stable. Some people might spend more, especially on the dollar rate for the day or week while others might spend less than others. This blog post is a breakdown of the amount I spent in the process of securing my Schengen visa from Nigeria.
How Much Will Schengen Visa Cost Me In Nigeria?
For those who might want to tour Europe or apply for work, study, business, or any other permit; here is the total cost of my Europe trip. The processes for each application process are almost the same but the only thing that varies is the pricing. Below is a breakdown of how much will Schengen visa cost me in Nigeria.
For many of us who will be asking the question, what is a Schengen visa? Schengen visa is a visa that allows a foreigner or grants access and permits to foreigners into the European Union states either for a temporary visit, tourists, or any other purpose that might have made the individual apply for the visa.
Before traveling, I made sure that I had enough money in my virtual card (chipper cash) and my UBA (United Bank for Africa) prepaid card, which allows you to use the ATM abroad. Also, I bought snacks in my hand luggage for emergency purposes ( the snacks are for me to curtail the amount of spending in Europe because thing might slightly be very costly there compared to Nigeria).
The Schengen Visa Application Process In Nigeria
The visa application process cost N206,000 which is roughly 133 euros. It could have been less. So, let me break it down for you so that you know what you could avoid.
- The visa fee was €90, as at then, the exchange rate was N148,000.
I paid for a walk-in interview because I couldn’t book an appointment online. This service cost N41,000. - I took another passport at the visa collection center because they said my passport did not meet their standard, it cost N5000.
- I paid for my passport to be sent to me by DHL whether the visa is approved or not. This service costs N12,000. DHL remains the best for this kind of service because they are fast and reliable. The visa Collection center is in Lagos, I live in Delta State in the east. When I made a rough calculation of my transport, hotel lodge, and other miscellaneous spending, I felt I spent more because of the distance from the east to the west and because I had no relative to stay within Lagos state which would have made me spend less.
How Much Does The Flight Ticket Cost For Schengen States From Nigeria
I booked my ticket 3 days after my visa was approved and sent to my location by DHL. It was quite expensive. Flight tickets from Nigeria to Europe are cheap compared to flight tickets to other African countries. If you’re lucky to have booked your flight ticket ahead, you will surely get a ticket discount for as low as $500. If you know the hack of some route, you can get $450. My flight ticket was $750. I booked my flight ticket when the dollar rate was N1,270. Now you can imagine if the dollar rate had been less than the amount when I booked my ticket, I am sure it would be less the amount.
I tried booking a Turkish airline from Abuja to France, but believe me, the price was choky. It was more than what I expected either. I would rather go for other airline companies that sell cheaper tickets.
What Are The Expenses Traveling Around The Schengen States?
Once you arrive in any of the Schengen states, you can easily find your way around in three ways: By flight, bus, or train. These three have their advantages and disadvantages but they can be very advantageous to you when you have enough money to navigate your way easily, especially by flight.
Flights are rather expensive but there is something I like about domestic flights abroad. If you’re flying without luggage, it is cheaper than when you are with a piece of luggage, so if you are traveling with just a backpack, your ticket will be a cheap one. The train is also another expensive one but the bus is the cheapest and more advantageous because of its comfortable service which it offers but you will end up spending hours or days on the road.
One of the most effective bus companies in Europe is Flixbus. It has enough leg space, a chilling air conditioner when it is hot, or a heater if it is cold. There is also a bathroom especially when it is a long journey. Flixbus travels the whole of Europe. You can travel anywhere in Europe with Flixbus, connecting through the 27 countries of Schengen with it. However, you will have to stop and join connecting buses just like international flights and you need to show your passport or valid means of identification to board the bus.
Also, if you’re touring Europe, book and pay for your ticket online as early as possible because the tickets price increase every minute.
Best Schengen States To Explore
While in the Schengen nation, you should try as much as possible to visit the following places which I also paid a visit to. These were the ones that my money was able to afford as well as my visa validity.
- Budapest, Hungary: The bus that took me from the airport to Budapest cost 105 Euros. It was supposed to cost me as little as 90 Euros but it was costly just because I did not book earlier. I never knew my schedule earlier because it was a connecting flight and it can be unpredictable sometimes. At Budapest, a friend came to pick me up, hosted and fed me and took me around, I never spent a dime.
- Zurich, Switzerland: I booked a Flixbus bus from Nepliget in Budapest to Zurich which costs 42 Euros. I also had one stop in Germany to connect to the next bus. When I arrived in Zurich, I bought a train ticket to take me to the hotel which I had booked earlier at the rate of 7 Swiss francs equivalent to 7 Euros. I also paid a 40 Euros return ticket from Zurich to Luzern for sightseeing. (This 40 Euros was given to me by a friend of mine, who kept talking non-stop about beautiful places in Switzerland and wanted me to explore his country)
- Strasbourg, France: The bus that took me from Zurich to Switzerland to France cost 50 Euros. When I got to Strasbourg, I took a train for 16 Euros to Strasbourg. I had to lodge at a friend’s farm and ate healthy organic food, learned organic farming, and how to make some organic juice, I met other volunteers and had the time of my life without spending any money.
- Paris, France: I had an extra 60 Euros with me so I used it for more time to visit Paris and take photos of the Eiffel Tower. From Strasbourg to Paris costs 25 Euros. From Paris, I took a train to the Eiffel Tower for 2.15 Euros, I bought bread for 5 Euros to eat with the butter I carried along with me. That was all the money I spent in Paris.
- Rome, Italy: Before leaving Rome, a friend of mine gifted me 100 Euros which aided my 2-night stay in Rome. My bus ticket to Rome costs 40 Euros. In Rome, I got a hostel for 105 Euros for 2 nights plus tourist tax for 10 Euros. There is a law in Italy that every night you stay in a hotel you pay 10 Euros but in a hostel, you pay 5 Euros, so my total hostel price for 2 nights is 115 Euros.
- St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City: I bought a 24-hour train ticket for 7 Euros, which was a huge mistake. In Rome, the 24-hour tickets allow you to enter all the trains and buses and travel around Rome for 24 hours but let me tell you that when you are at the Vatican the whole day there is so much to see and document that you won’t have time to hop in and out of a bus to explore. So if you find yourself in Rome and you want to visit the Vatican, buy a ticket for 1.50 Euros to go and another 1.50 Euros to return. From Rome, I booked a bus online for 8 Euros to take me to the airport. It was a one-hour trip from my hostel to the airport. After only 2 nights spent in Rome, I spent almost 150 Euros, and I almost had a heart attack. Imagine if I didn’t have a good network that hosted me, you think I would have the money to tour Europe?
