Indians love travelling to Europe, as over 6 lakh applicants applied for Schengen visas in 2022. They were the third biggest lot in the world to apply for the short-stay visa that grants access to 27 European countries. However, they were also among the ones who faced high Schengen visa rejection rates.
These Schengen countries have the highest visa rejection rates
As per data, Estonia denied visa to 56 percent of the 1,986 applications. Malta came next, which too rejected nearly 50 percent of the 1,220 applications it received. Slovenia, Lithuania and Hungary were the other European countries which had the worst rate of visa rejections at 44.5 percent, 41.4 percent and 39.2 percent, respectively.
However, by volume size, France rejected the most number of applications. Out of 1.38 lakh visa applications, it did not issue visas to over 27,000 applicants. Spain (14,852) was second, according to this Info.
Countries with a low rate of rejection
On the flip side, the rejection rate for Switzerland is comparatively low at 13.2 percent; however, due to a high number of applications, the total number of visas that were denied was 13,984. Germany had an even lower rejection rate of 11.33 percent. Germany has consulates in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai and an embassy in New Delhi and received many applications; however, they accepted nearly 90 percent of them.
Other countries that had the lowest rate of rejections for Indians were Iceland (5.5 percent), Hungary (12.1 percent), Belgium (12.2 percent) and Norway, with 18,016 applications and rejection rate of 14.5 percent. However, it must be pointed out that they received far fewer applications compared to countries like France and Germany.
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What is a Schengen visa?
The Schengen visa is for unrestricted movement between 27 European nations, which together make up the Schengen zone. It is granted to non-EU nationals and citizens of countries not having a visa-exempt agreement with Schengen members. The visa holders can stay in the zone for up to 90 days within a six-month period. The visa can be granted by any of the Schengen countries, depending on whose embassy or consulate or visa facilitation centre you approach. Some visa centres handle applications of multiple Schengen members.
How much time does it take for the Schengen Visa process?
One must keep a buffer of four to eight weeks between the submission of documents and the application and the day you intend to begin your journey. The Schengen countries require a minimum of two weeks to process the application.
What is the fee for Indians?
The fee for a Schengen visa is EUR 80 (approximately INR 6,940) for adults and EUR 40 (approximately INR 3,470) for children between the ages of six and twelve. There is no fee for children below six.
Hero and feature image: Courtesy Vladz2009/Shutterstock
This story first appeared on Travel+Leisure India.
