France vs Germany: Which Country Rejects More Schengen Visa Applications from Indian Nationals?

Each year, thousands of Indians apply for Schengen visas to visit European countries, with France and Germany being two of the top destinations.

Alongside Switzerland, these three nations represent significant choices for Indian travelers seeking a Schengen visa. Despite receiving a high number of visa applications, however, these countries are not necessarily known for having high approval rates.

According to Schengen Visa Info, France received a total of 176,237 visa applications from Indian nationals in 2023. Meanwhile, Germany processed 132,825 applications from Indians during the same year. Together, these two countries handled 309,602 applications from India, which constitutes 31.9% of the total visa requests filed by Indian nationals across all Schengen countries in 2023.

France More Likely to Reject Indian Visa Applications

When comparing which of the two countries rejected more visa applications from Indian nationals, France takes the lead. In 2023, France rejected 29,866 visa applications, which amounts to nearly 17% of all requests filed by Indians. In terms of rejection rates, France ranks 15th for rejecting the most Schengen visa applications from Indian applicants.

Germany, on the other hand, fares much better in terms of approval rates. The country granted 118,919 visas to Indian nationals in 2023, approving 89.5% of all visa applications it received. In fact, Germany ranks as the second-best country for Indian applicants in terms of visa approval rates. The top spot, however, goes to Iceland, which approved a remarkable 95.4% of all Schengen visa applications from Indian nationals. Iceland rejected only 122 out of the 3,043 visa applications it received.

Top 5 Countries with the Highest Schengen Visa Rejection Rates for Indians

Out of a total of 966,687 Schengen visa applications submitted by Indian nationals in 2023, a significant 151,752 were rejected, resulting in an overall rejection rate of 15.7%. The Schengen countries with the highest rejection rates for Indian applicants in 2023 are as follows:

• Malta: 50.87% rejection rate, with 1,978 visa applications refused.

• Estonia: 49.75% rejection rate, with 904 applications refused.

• Lithuania: 48.64% rejection rate, with 339 applications refused.

• Slovenia: 35.05% rejection rate, with 991 applications refused.

• Greece: 28.21% rejection rate, with 9,516 applications refused.

The rejection rates might see improvement in the coming years, thanks to new rules adopted by the European Union (EU) for Indian Schengen visa applicants. In April 2023, the EU introduced new measures that allow Indian nationals with an established travel history to obtain multiple-entry visas with longer validity periods, up to two years.

According to the EU’s newly adopted “cascade” visa regime for Indian travelers, "Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years," states the Delegation of the EU to India.

In 2023, Indian nationals ranked as the third-highest nationality in terms of visa applications, submitting 966,687 Schengen visa requests. The first and second nationalities with the most applications were Chinese, with 1.11 million applications, and Turks, with 1.05 million applications. 

By fLEXI tEAM