Berlin  - Germany is to double its fee for entry visas from 30 to 60 euros (47 to 94 dollars) under legislation given final approval Friday in the Bundesrat or upper chamber of parliament in Berlin.

Officials said the change reflected the increased costs of recording biometric data such as fingerprints at German missions abroad. EU residents and tourists from many western nations do not require visas to visit Germany.

The legislation also imposed an obligation on citizens of Myanmar to obtain a transit visa for stopovers at German airports.

Berlin contends that too many Myanmar residents have demanded political asylum during passage through Frankfurt International Airport. Passengers who wait in the airport's sealed transit zone do not normally require any Germany visa for the short stay.

Pro Asyl, a refugee aid group, criticized the law change, saying only 78 Myanmar residents applied for asylum this way last year and only 37 had done so so far this year. It said that many were in fact granted asylum after their cases had been heard. (dpa)