The Visa Code asks for proof that you have enough money for the stay and for the way back, or can get it lawfully. "Enough" is counted from the reference amounts that each country reports to the European Commission; its list was last updated on 8 June 2026.
Reference amounts in 2026
| Country | Per person | Note |
|---|---|---|
| France | €65 a day with a hotel booking; €120 a day if accommodation is not shown; €32.50 a day when you stay with a host | The host's confirmation is a form from the town hall, the attestation d'accueil |
| Italy | Up to 5 days: €269.60 for the trip; 6–10 days: €44.93 a day; 11–20 days: €51.64 plus €36.67 a day; longer: €206.58 plus €27.89 a day | Lower rates for two or more travellers |
| Spain | €122.10 a day, but not less than €1,098.90 whatever the length | Revised every year with the minimum wage |
| Greece | €50 a day, but not less than €300 for a trip of up to 5 days | Half for minors |
| Hungary | €40 a day | In force since 2024 |
| Germany | €45 a day | A fallback figure: no fixed amount is required |
For one person and ten days that makes €650 in France with a hotel, €1,200 without proof of accommodation and €325 with a host; €449.30 in Italy; €1,221 in Spain; €500 in Greece; €400 in Hungary. For five days in Spain the amount is still €1,098.90. The ticket home, or the money for it, is checked separately.
A guide figure, not a pass mark
The consulate estimates the amount roughly, from the length and purpose of the trip. Less than the calculated sum is enough when someone supports you, the accommodation is free or the tour is paid for; more is asked for an expensive trip, medical treatment or study. And the sum alone does not settle it: the consulate assesses how reliable and stable the money is, and compares what comes into the account with the income you declare.
What counts as proof
- Bank statements showing movements for at least the last three months. In some countries of application the list says six months — Egypt and Iraq — or asks for an original with the bank's stamp and signature.
- A letter from your employer and payslips for the same months.
- A credit card together with its statement.
- A paid hotel booking: in France it lowers the daily amount from €120 to €65.
Cash is, as a rule, not accepted as proof for a visa: consulates know the scheme in which money is borrowed for the day of the application and returned straight after. A term deposit is not accepted everywhere either: the list for applicants in China excludes deposit accounts.
If someone else pays
The Visa Code accepts sponsorship and private accommodation as proof of means, but each country has its own form. In France the host gets an attestation d'accueil at the town hall: it costs €30, the town hall checks the host's housing and income, and the answer can take up to a month. In Hungary an official letter of invitation approved by the immigration authority counts as both accommodation and money. A Spanish invitation letter, the carta de invitación, confirms accommodation only: the money you prove yourself. Where no national form is used, the sponsor's letter comes with their bank statements for three months and a copy of their passport.
What leads to a refusal
- A large sum that appears on the account a day or two before the statement, with nothing to explain it.
- A balance certificate instead of a statement with movements.
- A printout from the banking app where the list asks for a stamped original.
- Counting three days in Spain as three times €122.10: the minimum of €1,098.90 applies to any trip.
- Relying on the amount alone: a visa is also refused over doubts about your return or about the documents.
On the refusal form these are grounds 3 and 4: no proof of sufficient means, or no proof that you can get them lawfully. What to do next is in the guide to refusals and appeals.
The border asks too
The same condition is checked a second time at entry. Spain spells out how: cash, or a card together with a statement issued by the bank — bank letters and statements printed from online banking are not accepted — and a return ticket with a fixed date. Carry the card, the bank's statement and your booking with you.
The United Kingdom and the United States set no daily amount at all: there the decision rests on your ties at home, as the UK guide explains.
Vizir works out the amount for your country and dates, and before you submit the specialist checks that the statements show where the money comes from.