Key Takeaways:
- Belarus, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia have the highest Schengen visa approval rates from Italian authorities, with approval rates ranging between 99% and 98%.
- South Africa and Vietnam also rank in the top five countries with the highest Schengen visa approval rates.
Italy is a key destination for visa applicants, ranking fourth in the Schengen Area for the highest number of visa applications received.
According to data from SchengenVisaInfo, Italy processed 1.1 million visa applications in 2023, accounting for 10.7% of all visa requests submitted within the Schengen Area that year.
The majority of applications came from China, Russia, and Turkey, which also saw the highest number of visas issued. However, when considering visa approval rates—i.e., the percentage of visas granted relative to the number of applications submitted—the following countries of origin had the highest approval rates.
Belarus
In 2023, applicants from Belarus had the highest approval rates for Schengen visas granted by Italian authorities. A total of 40,260 applications were filed by Belarusians, with 40,175 (or 99.79%) of those approved. The number of denials was notably low, with only 82 applications rejected.
Additionally, a significant proportion of the approved visas were multiple-entry visas (MEVs). Of the visas granted, 34,316 were MEVs, accounting for 85.4% of all visas issued to Belarusians.
Regarding the top destinations for Belarusian applicants in 2023, Germany was the most popular, receiving 31.8% of all applications, followed by Italy with 24.5%, and Poland with 21.6%.
Zimbabwe
In 2023, Italian authorities approved 98.95% of the Schengen visa applications from nationals of Zimbabwe. Specifically, 1,046 applications were submitted, with 1,035 approved and just 10 rejected.
Moreover, a significant proportion of these approvals were for multiple-entry visas (MEVs), with 729 MEVs issued, representing 70.43% of all visas granted to Zimbabwean applicants.
When it comes to preferred destinations, France and Germany were the top choices for Zimbabweans applying for Schengen visas, with Italy ranking third.
Indonesia
While Italy may not be the most popular destination for Indonesian nationals to apply for Schengen visas, it is certainly one of the countries with the highest approval rates for Indonesian applicants.
In 2023, Italy approved 98.62% of visa applications from Indonesians, granting 5,429 visas and rejecting only 75 applications.
Alongside Austria (which approved 99.4% of Indonesian visa applications) and Czechia (with an approval rate of 98.7%), Italy ranks among the top three Schengen countries that issued the most visas to Indonesian nationals.
