Millions are schengen visa applications are rejected every year. The European Authorities publish statistics of schengen visa every year which provides a good insights into of visa refusals by schengen area countries.
Quick Summary
For 2022, A total of 5.9 million schengen visas (out of 7.5 million visa applications submitted at consulates worldwide), were issued, according to the visa statistics published by European commission, but at the same time on an average 17.6% of 1.3 million visa applications were refused for 2022 by consulates abroad.
Malta, Sweden, Belgium are the Top countries with highest refusal rates (%). Likewise, France, Spain, Germany rejected highest number of applications, in terms of numbers.
Highest Refusals – Malta, Sweden, Belgium, France (consulates)
Lowest Refusals – Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia (consulates)
See below the table.
Visa Data
These are the top schengen countries with highest refusal rates issuing the schengen visa, sorted by refusal rate.
| Schengen State | Uniform visas applied for | Total uniform visas issued (including MEV) | Multiple entry uniform visas (MEVs) issued | Total LTVs issued | Uniform visas not issued | Not issued rate for uniform visa |
| Malta | 22 275 | 13 758 | 5 983 | 43 | 7 915 | 36,4% |
| Sweden | 135 946 | 89 112 | 29 981 | 5 579 | 38 652 | 29,0% |
| Belgium | 171 966 | 116 927 | 66 132 | 342 | 46 569 | 28,4% |
| France | 1 918 515 | 1 428 228 | 574 836 | 3 521 | 408 876 | 22,2% |
| Norway | 72 463 | 56 307 | 18 946 | 1 437 | 14 719 | 20,3% |
| Estonia | 23 151 | 18 033 | 14 663 | 84 | 4 533 | 20,0% |
| Spain | 1 197 457 | 912 325 | 358 898 | 8 448 | 227 712 | 19,8% |
| Denmark | 73 947 | 56 402 | 27 805 | 107 | 13 167 | 18,9% |
| Slovenia | 17 680 | 9 832 | 8 026 | 4 083 | 3 085 | 18,1% |
| Portugal | 150 915 | 123 174 | 71 396 | 360 | 27 378 | 18,1% |
| Netherlands | 412 967 | 333 074 | 185 017 | 1 941 | 70 566 | 17,4% |
| Germany | 1 043 297 | 817 307 | 740 356 | 52 158 | 167 517 | 16,2% |
| Austria | 151 566 | 125 275 | 93 816 | 1 769 | 23 984 | 15,9% |
| Hungary | 144 227 | 122 470 | 56 405 | 267 | 21 757 | 15,1% |
| Czech Republic | 117 624 | 99 659 | 47 250 | 1 024 | 16 941 | 14,4% |
| Italy | 727 490 | 629 223 | 464 674 | 3 230 | 92 186 | 12,7% |
| Greece | 459 139 | 386 371 | 277 286 | 10 061 | 56 566 | 12,5% |
| Switzerland | 410 036 | 319 841 | 220 345 | 40 932 | 49 263 | 12,0% |
| Poland | 83 114 | 73 023 | 42 301 | 1 877 | 9 841 | 11,6% |
| Luxembourg | 6 931 | 5 992 | 4 362 | 26 | 709 | 10,5% |
| Finland | 164 427 | 142 302 | 102 954 | 2 583 | 15 530 | 9,7% |
| Slovakia | 12 211 | 10 876 | 6 163 | 150 | 1 181 | 9,7% |
| Latvia | 21 140 | 18 888 | 13 033 | 142 | 1 989 | 9,5% |
| Lithuania | 26 556 | 24 090 | 17 267 | 48 | 2 037 | 7,8% |
| Iceland | 7 715 | 7 407 | 429 | 5 | 146 | 1,9% |
Source: European commission / Schengen Visa Statistics 2022
Third Countries
Nationals of these countries, were rejected by consulates of schengen states. Data shows almost half of the applications filed were rejected.
| ALGERIA | 48,2% |
| NIGERIA | 45,6% |
| GUINEA-BISSAU | 45,6% |
| GHANA | 44,2% |
| SRI LANKA | 44,2% |
| SENEGAL | 43,8% |
| HAITI | 43,2% |
| PAKISTAN | 43,0% |
| GUINEA | 42,7% |
Applying for a schengen visa can be a stressful at times with fear of rejection. It may be advantageous for you to file your schengen visa application with a schengen state refusing in lowest numbers. Note that if your visa is rejected, the information is shared by all schengen countries, which could hamper your chances of future application to all the 27 schengen states.
The decision to refuse a Schengen visa and the reasons for the refusal are notified to the applicant using a standard form. The decision to refuse the visa must include the reasons on which the refusal was based, and the procedures and deadlines for submitting an appeal.
