The 2022 Schengen visa statistics have been released. In 2022, Indian tourists made a significant impact on the global visa application scene, with over 6 lakh applications filed. This figure ranks India as the third highest country in terms of visa applications.
However, Indian travellers also faced a challenging hurdle, with a rejection rate of 18%. Last year, Estonia, Malta, and Slovenia turned down the greatest proportion of Schengen visa applications from India, whereas Germany, Italy, and Hungary were the most receptive, according to reports. The following are the specifics: The performance of Schengen visa applications from India is being closely monitored.
According to Schengen Visa Info, a website that covers visa-related news, Estonia has the highest rate of visa rejections for Indian applicants in 2022. Out of 1,986 applications, 56% were denied. Malta has reportedly rejected 506 out of 1,220 visa applications, resulting in a rejection rate of 45%. Nearly half of the visa applications, specifically 44.5% of 2,732, have been denied by Slovenia.
According to volume statistics, there is a distinct group of countries that tend to reject a greater number of visas. Switzerland’s visa rejection rate in 2022 was 13%, significantly lower than the average. However, out of 106,025 visa applications, 13,984 were rejected.
France has reportedly denied a significant number of visas, rejecting 27,681 out of 138,643 applications, which accounts for 19.9% of the total. Meanwhile, Spain has also declined a considerable number of visas, rejecting 14,852 out of 80,098 applications, which accounts for 18.5% of the total. In recent news, Austria, Greece, and Portugal have released their visa rejection rates.
Austria has rejected 24% of its visa applications, with 5,945 out of 24,791 being denied. Greece has a higher rejection rate of 34.7%, with 9,118 out of 27,457 visas being turned down. Portugal has also seen a significant number of visa rejections, with 29.9% or 1,593 out of 5,326 applications being denied. Sweden received a total of 27,775 applications, out of which 5,110 or 18.7% were rejected. As an Indian traveler, you may be wondering which countries are the best for obtaining a Schengen visa.
According to recent data, Germany has emerged as the most favorable Schengen visa destination for Indian travelers. The Bengaluru consulate of Germany has reportedly rejected only eight out of 6,345 visa applications, while the Kolkata and Chennai consulates have rejected one and two applications, respectively.
Italy and Hungary have been reported to have the second and third highest rejection rates for visas. According to official data, Italy had a rejection rate of 11.5%, with 794 out of 6,909 visas being rejected. Hungary had a slightly higher rejection rate of 12.1%, with 1,098 out of 9,046 visas being rejected.
India’s position in the Schengen visa market – where does it stand?
Last year, an impressive 75,72,755 short-term Schengen visa applications were recorded by consulates worldwide. Turkey has claimed the top spot for the highest number of requests, with a staggering 7,784,409 requests made. Following closely behind is Russia, with a total of 6,872,239 requests.
In 2022, Indians submitted a total of 671,928 uniform visa applications to the Schengen region, securing the third position in terms of the highest number of visa applications. A total of 121,188 applications were declined, resulting in an 18% rejection rate. The rejection rate surpasses the global average of 17.9%. India ranked second to last in terms of Schengen visa application rejections, with only Algeria having a worse record. A total of 179,409 applications were denied.
Is there a discernible trend?
Over the years, visa patterns have the potential to undergo changes. The world saw a significantly larger volume of applications in 2022 as compared to the year before that. In 2021, a total of 29,26,104 applications were filed worldwide. Despite the gradual easing of pandemic restrictions, the figures have yet to reach pre-COVID levels. In 2022, it appears that the average visa rejection rates have increased from 13.4% in 2021.
However, this is not the only concerning trend. Sweden and Switzerland have emerged as the shining examples of countries that have been more welcoming to Indian visa applicants in recent times. According to the latest data, Sweden’s visa rejection rate for Indian applicants dropped significantly from 42.26% in 2021 to just 18.7% last year.
Similarly, Switzerland has also witnessed a surge in the number of visas granted to Indian applicants, with the rejection rate plummeting from 21% in 2021 to a mere 13% in 2022. In a recent development, it has been reported that France has issued a greater number of Schengen visas to Indian travelers in the previous year as compared to the current year.
Furthermore, it has been observed that the rejection rate for these visas has decreased from 30.8% to 19.9%.
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