Schengen Countries with the Most Short-Term Visa Applications in 2023
Non-EU nationals residing in the United Kingdom, whose home countries do not have a visa waiver agreement with the Schengen Area, must apply for a visa to travel to the bloc.
As of January 2021, British nationals are subject to immigration rules for third-countries, meaning they can stay a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. The visa-free regime applies only to short-term, non-profit stays, such as tourism, visiting friends or family, medical tourism, or attending sporting events.
With Schengen visa appointment wait times running into weeks or even months, it’s hard to get your hands on Schengen visas in time for your planned travel.
According to the latest statistics by the European Commission for 2023 , the number of Schengen Visa applications filed worldwide has increased to 10,327,572 which is 36.3 percent more than the number of applications filed a year before in 2022.
The data from the European Commission reveals that the number of applications remains below 39 percent of pre-pandemic levels, when in 2019 alone 16,955,541 applications were filed.
If you plan to get a Schengen visa this year, it's important to know the most popular countries for applicants so you can plan ahead of your scheduled trip.
In 2023, five Schengen Area Member States collectively received 7.2 million visa applications, accounting for around 70 percent of the total. The number of visas each country received that year is as follows:
- France: 2,625,846
- Germany: 1,459,560
- Spain: 1,413,222
- Italy: 1,108,035
- Netherlands: 669,291
For years, France and Germany have consistently held the top two positions on this list, with Italy and Spain usually among the next three. In 2022, Greece was listed fifth instead of the Netherlands.
Countries With The Highest Schengen Visa Rejection Rates
Securing a Schengen visa is essential for travel within the 29 European countries in the Schengen Area, serving various purposes like tourism, business, or family visits. However, obtaining it can be challenging, leading to many rejections for applicants.
These countries face high Schengen visa rejection rates due to insufficient documentation, concerns about overstaying, and economic circumstances.
1. Algeria
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 392,053
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 179,409
- Rejection Rate: 45.8%
2. Guinea-Bissau
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 7,990
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 3,611
- Rejection Rate: 45.2%
3. Nigeria
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 86,815
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 39,189
- Rejection Rate: 45.1%
4. Sri Lanka
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 17,594
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 7,691
- Rejection Rate: 43.7%
5. Ghana
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 42,124
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 18,363
- Rejection Rate: 43.6%
6. Haiti
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 5,270
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 2,655
- Rejection Rate: 42.3%
7. Senegal
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 56,866
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 23,683
- Rejection Rate: 41.6%
8. Guinea
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 11,806
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 4,791
- Rejection Rate: 40.6%
9. Pakistan
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 76,090
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 30,841
- Rejection Rate: 40.5%
10. Mali
- Total Schengen Visa Applications: 23,117
- Schengen Visa Rejected: 9,291
- Rejection Rate: 39.9%
According to the EU data, there were a total of 405,631 applications received in the United Kingdom for 2023 with a 5.7% rejection rate.
Here is the data from the EU Commission statistics for 2023.
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 visas | Share of MEVs |
France | 2,625,846 | 2,169,332 | 791,417 | 6,312 | 436,893 | 16.70% | 36.50% |
Germany | 1,459,560 | 1,233,561 | 1,115,424 | 12,517 | 208,155 | 14.30% | 90.40% |
Spain | 1,413,222 | 1,093,803 | 297,215 | 14,139 | 251,470 | 18.50% | 27.20% |
Italy | 1,108,035 | 970,073 | 680,794 | 4,467 | 133,495 | 12.00% | 70.20% |
Netherlands | 669,291 | 542,255 | 326,018 | 2,146 | 114,269 | 17.30% | 60.10% |
Greece | 627,008 | 521,825 | 344,668 | 8,610 | 91,379 | 14.70% | 66.10% |
Switzerland | 603,261 | 506,499 | 349,862 | 32,365 | 64,397 | 10.70% | 69.10% |
Austria | 229,613 | 194,273 | 147,021 | 2,418 | 32,922 | 14.30% | 75.70% |
Hungary | 215,799 | 183,158 | 79,105 | 198 | 32,641 | 15.10% | 43.20% |
Portugal | 207,654 | 173,927 | 92,414 | 613 | 33,220 | 16.00% | 53.10% |
Belgium | 225,951 | 166,053 | 94,854 | 401 | 60,148 | 26.50% | 57.10% |
Sweden | 169,151 | 123,611 | 31,732 | 5,069 | 38,680 | 23.10% | 25.70% |
Czech Republic | 138,840 | 114,058 | 39,359 | 552 | 24,218 | 17.40% | 34.50% |
Poland | 124,057 | 105,219 | 56,103 | 1,298 | 18,564 | 14.80% | 53.30% |
Norway | 108,536 | 91,079 | 20,594 | 1,282 | 17,457 | 15.90% | 22.60% |
Denmark | 107,872 | 79,786 | 36,576 | 99 | 21,509 | 21.20% | 45.80% |
Finland | 92,078 | 68,939 | 14,702 | 4,034 | 16,602 | 18.50% | 21.30% |
Croatia | 38,511 | 29,785 | 18,454 | 376 | 7,561 | 20.00% | 62.00% |
Lithuania | 30,668 | 26,156 | 15,227 | 396 | 3,911 | 12.80% | 58.20% |
Iceland | 22,541 | 21,247 | 8,549 | 6 | 474 | 2.20% | 40.20% |
Malta | 33,306 | 20,270 | 8,223 | 41 | 12,261 | 37.60% | 40.60% |
Latvia | 18,897 | 16,394 | 9,124 | 295 | 2,208 | 11.70% | 55.70% |
Slovenia | 19,990 | 12,612 | 7,529 | 4,112 | 3,097 | 15.60% | 59.70% |
Slovakia | 13,468 | 11,605 | 5,943 | 203 | 1,752 | 12.90% | 51.20% |
Luxembourg | 11,227 | 9,151 | 5,362 | 140 | 1,354 | 12.70% | 58.60% |
Estonia | 13,190 | 8,105 | 4,865 | 696 | 4,347 | 33.10% | 60.00% |
Grand Total | 10,327,572 | 8,492,776 | 4,601,134 | 102,785 | 1,632,984 | 16.00% | 54.20% |
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