Key Insights
In 2023, France has shown a tendency to deny visas to Indian applicants, with a rejection rate of 17 percent. In contrast, Germany stands out as a leading country in approving visas for Indians. Additionally, Switzerland continues to be a favored destination for Indian nationals, accepting 19.6 percent of all visa applications from this demographic.
Each year, France and Germany handle thousands of visa applications from Indian nationals. Alongside Switzerland, these three countries are key destinations for those looking to obtain a Schengen visa.
However, despite the volume of applications, their approval rates are not particularly high. According to statistics from Schengen Visa Info, France received 176,237 visa applications from Indians in 2023, as reported by Schengen.News.
Germany also saw a significant number, with 132,825 applications, bringing the combined total for the two nations to 309,602. This figure accounts for 31.9 percent of all visa applications submitted this year.
France Is More Likely to Turn Down Indians’ Visa Applications
When it comes to the rejection rates for Indian visa applicants, France leads the way. In 2023, the country rejected 29,866 visa applications, resulting in a rejection rate of nearly 17 percent. This places France 15th in the ranking for the highest rejection rates among countries processing applications from Indians.
Conversely, Germany has emerged as a strong contender for high approval rates, granting 118,919 visas to Indian applicants in 2023. This translates to an impressive approval rate of 89.5 percent.
Iceland tops the list for the highest approval rates, with 95.4 percent of visa applications accepted. Out of 3,043 applications, only 122 were denied.
These Are the Top 5 Countries With the Highest Rejection Rates for Indians
In 2023, Indian nationals submitted a total of 966,687 visa applications, of which 151,752 were rejected, leading to an overall rejection rate of 15.7 percent.
The Schengen countries with the highest rejection rates for Indian visa applications in 2023 are as follows:
- Malta: 50.87 percent, with 1,978 visas denied
- Estonia: 49.75 percent, with 904 applications rejected
- Lithuania: 48.64 percent, with 339 applications denied
- Slovenia: 35.05 percent, with 991 applications rejected
- Greece: 28.21 percent, with 9,516 visas denied
Rejection rates for visa applications could see improvement in the coming years, as the EU has introduced new regulations for Indian Schengen visa applicants. In April, the EU announced that Indian nationals with a proven travel history can now qualify for multiple-entry visas with a validity of up to two years.
Under the newly implemented “cascade” visa regime, Indian applicants who have obtained and properly utilized two visas within the past three years are eligible for long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years.
In 2023, Indian nationals submitted 966,687 visa applications, making them the third-largest group of applicants. The highest application rates came from Chinese nationals, with 1.11 million submissions, followed by Turkish nationals with 1.05 million applications.
