§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications for visits to the United Kingdom are outstanding in respect of(a) Poland, (b) Czechoslovakia, (c) Romania and (d) Hungary; how many have been refused in the last 12 months; what is the fee payable by applicants in each of the countries listed; and what happens to the fee if an application is refused.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 19 October]: Visas were abolished for Czechoslovakia and Hungary on 1 October 1990. Information in respect of applications lodged at our embassies in Warsaw and Bucharest is as follows: 59W
Country Visa applications outstanding Refusals (October 1989-September 1990) Poland 17 2,484 Romania 1371 23 1Includes other foreign nationals. The visa fee is £20 world wide, payable in local currency. The fee is charged when an application is formally lodged, and is non-refundable in the event that the application is refused. Visa fees contribute to the administrative costs of processing visa applications, which are incurred whether or not a visa is issued.