Polish Visa Rejections: These Nationalities Face the Most Difficulties

Poland remains a popular European destination, attracting visitors from around the world, including third-country nationals.

However, while Poland had a high approval rate for visa applications in 2023—granting visas to 85 per cent of applicants—not all nationalities had the same level of success when applying for a Polish Schengen visa.

Poland received a total of 124,057 visa applications in 2023. Despite the overall high approval rate, certain nationalities faced significantly higher rejection rates than others. The following breakdown highlights which applicants were most likely to have their Polish visa applications denied.

Five Countries With the Highest Rejection Rates for Polish Visas in 2023

Angolan nationals had the highest rejection rate among all applicants seeking a Schengen visa from Polish consulates. In total, 65.63 per cent of visa applications from Angola were denied. Out of 529 applications submitted, only 276 were approved. Additionally, the share of multiple-entry visas (MEVs) granted to Angolan applicants was remarkably low—only 6.33 per cent, or 51 visas, allowed for multiple entries.

Syria ranked second among countries whose nationals faced the most difficulties obtaining a Polish visa. Syrian applicants submitted 308 visa applications in 2023, but 60.71 per cent—equivalent to 187 applications—were rejected.

Ethiopia, Peru, and Brazil also had notably high rejection rates compared to other nationalities. Polish authorities rejected 54.98 per cent of Ethiopian visa applications in 2023, with 331 applications denied and only 271 approved.

Similarly, Peruvian applicants submitted 74 visa applications, but 51.35 per cent—accounting for 38 applications—were rejected. Meanwhile, applicants from Brazil filed ten visa applications, with five being denied. Although Brazilian passport holders do not require a Schengen visa, non-Brazilian residents living in Brazil must still apply for a visa when traveling to the Schengen Area.

Nearly 60% of All Rejections Were Issued to Nationals of These Five Countries

While some countries had the highest rejection rates, others had the largest number of total rejections, largely due to the sheer volume of applications submitted. In 2023, Polish authorities rejected 18,564 visa applications in total.

Belarus ranked first in terms of absolute numbers of rejected applications, with Polish authorities denying 4,097 visa requests from Belarusian nationals. This amounted to 11.52 per cent of the 35,550 applications filed by Belarusian applicants throughout the year.

India followed closely behind, with 2,288 visa rejections out of 11,954 applications submitted. Meanwhile, China ranked third, with 1,974 visa applications denied out of 13,663.

Algerian applicants also faced considerable difficulties, filing 3,183 visa applications in 2023, of which 1,325 were rejected. Turkish nationals, who submitted a total of 9,510 applications, saw 13.35 per cent of them denied, translating to 1,270 rejected applications.

Despite Poland’s overall high visa approval rate, these figures indicate that certain nationalities continue to experience greater obstacles when applying for a Schengen visa, whether due to stricter regulations or other factors influencing Poland’s visa policies.

By fLEXI tEAM