Are travel visas becoming too expensive?

China this week followed the lead of India in outsourcing its visa application process for UK travellers. On visiting the website of the China Visa Application Center we discovered that the cost of a visa has more than doubled.

To buy a single-entry tourist visa costs £30, the same price as it was before. However, and here’s the catch, there are now ’service fees’ totalling £35.25 – more than double the cost of the visa. For that price, you’re expecting a lot of service.

But initial reports haven’t been good, saying that the phones have gone unanswered and there have been delays and difficulties in applications. So not much service then.

Zambia also came under fire earlier this year for doubling the cost of its tourist visas, with some accusing the government of trying to cash in on the chaos in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

One thing that often gets lost in the debate around visa costs is how much people have to pay to enter the UK. Far from cashing in, Zambia’s government claimed it was only pursuing a policy of ‘reciprocity’, based on what the UK government charged Zambians entering the UK. So it’s the government’s fault, right?

Things are never that simple.

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