Schengen Countries With the Highest Visa Rejection Rates in 2023

Travellers from many non-EU countries must apply for a visa to enter the Schengen Area, but the 27 member states have varying rejection rates for visa applications, with some being stricter than others. According to Schengen Visa Info, it is not always easy to predict which countries are more likely to reject applications. In some cases, countries that receive fewer applications issue more negative decisions.

Based on their 2023 rejection rates, here are the Schengen countries most likely to reject visa applications:

Malta

Malta holds the highest rejection rate among all 27 Schengen countries. In 2023, a total of 33,306 requests were submitted, with 12,261 or 37.60 per cent of them being rejected. Algerian applicants faced the most rejections, with a staggering 90.35 per cent of their applications denied. Ghana and Morocco followed as the second and third most rejected nationalities, with rejection rates of 62.69 and 60.37 per cent, respectively.

Estonia

Estonia had an even higher rejection rate, with 61.4 per cent of Schengen visa applications receiving a negative response. Out of 4,347 applications, more than half were rejected. Egyptian applicants faced the highest rejection rate, at 59.5 per cent. Applicants from the UAE and India also saw higher rejection rates, with 57.9 and 49.7 per cent, respectively, while Chinese applicants experienced the lowest rejection rate at just 7.3 per cent.

Belgium

Belgium ranked third for the highest visa rejection rates, with over a quarter (26.6 per cent) of applications being denied. Out of 225,951 visa requests, 60,148 were rejected. Senegalese applicants saw the highest rejection rate at 67.8 per cent, followed by Angoleans (66.44 per cent) and Nigerians (62.45 per cent).

Sweden

In 2023, Sweden rejected 23.1 per cent of visa applications, amounting to 60,148 refusals, positioning the country as the fourth strictest in terms of visa issuance. Iranian nationals faced the most rejections, with 4,153 applications denied, resulting in a 76.65 per cent rejection rate. Pakistanis and Lebanese applicants followed, with rejection rates of 69.49 and 66.21 per cent, respectively.

Denmark

Denmark processed 107,872 visa applications in 2023, rejecting 21,509 or 21.2 per cent of them. Moroccans had the highest rejection rate, with 100 per cent of their applications denied, though only two applications were submitted. Iranians and Pakistanis were the second and third most rejected nationalities, with rejection rates of 76.65 and 69.49 per cent, respectively.

These statistics illustrate the differences in how Schengen countries handle visa applications, with some being more likely to reject requests than others, particularly for certain nationalities.

By fLEXI tEAM