Indians Encounter High Schengen Visa Rejection Rates Compared to Global Average.
Indian travelers experience one of the highest rejection rates worldwide for Schengen visas. In 2022, Indians submitted over 600,000 Schengen visa applications, ranking third globally. However, they faced a significant rejection rate of 18%.
Estonia, Malta, and Slovenia Led Schengen Visa Rejections for Indians, While Germany, Italy, and Hungary Were the Most Welcoming Countries.
Estonia Tops Schengen Visa Rejections for Indians in 2022
In 2022, Estonia had the highest rejection rate for visa applications from Indians, with 56% of 1,986 applications being rejected. Malta followed closely with a rejection rate of 45%, and Slovenia rejected 44.5% of 2,732 visas.
On the other hand, Germany exhibited the lowest rejection rate. Italy and Hungary ranked second and third, with rejection rates of 11.5% (794 of 6,909 visas rejected) and 12.1% (1,098 of 9,046 visas rejected), respectively.
Schengen Visa Embassies Receive 7.5 Million Applications in 2022, Marking a Pandemic Recovery
Schengen visa embassies worldwide recorded a total of 7,572,755 short-term visa applications in 2022. Although this represented an increase compared to the previous two years, it was still 55% lower than the number of visas processed in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Türkiye claimed the top spot with 778,409 applications, followed by Russia with 687,239, and India with 671,928 applications. In 2019, the leading markets for visa applicants were Russia, China, and India, serving as a basis for comparison.
Schengen Area: Free Travel Zone and Visa Regulations
The Schengen area, encompassing 26 countries including 22 EU states and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, is the world’s largest free travel zone. It facilitates seamless movement between member countries, with nearly 1.7 million individuals living in one Schengen country and working in another. Each day, approximately 3.5 million people cross internal borders within the zone.
The Schengen agreement enables travelers to move across member countries without the need for passport checks, ID cards, or visas.
Croatia became the latest country to join the Schengen zone, allowing visitors to enter the country with a Schengen visa starting from January 1, 2023.
A visitor’s visa grants a stay of up to 90 days within a 180-day period in the area. The processing time for these visas ranges from 15 to 30 days. To expedite the process, applicants can apply up to six months in advance.
