How do Schengen visa refusal rates differ by where people apply?
In 2025, Schengen countries decided 12,074,345 short-stay visa applications and refused 14.6%. For applications made in Bangladesh the share was 54.5%. In China it was 4.0. Here are the published numbers, with the source beside them.
Source: European Commission, visa statistics for consulates, 2025. Checked against the Commission file on 16 October 2026.
of all decisions were refusals: 1,768,605 of 12,074,345.
of decisions on applications made in Bangladesh were refusals: 20,918 of 38,353.
of decisions on applications made in China were refusals: 76,655 of 1,904,861, about 1 in 25.
Share of Schengen visa decisions that were refusals
Refusals as a share of decisions (visas issued plus visas not issued), by the country where the application was made, 2025. The chart shows the six countries with the highest shares among the 54 with at least 25,000 applications, the overall figure, and two others for comparison. All 54 are in the table below, and all 161 countries are in the data file.
Source: European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (sheet ‘Totals – third country’). Checked against the file on 16 October 2026. Refusal share calculated by B4A from the Commission counts: visas not issued divided by visas issued (including multiple-entry and limited-validity visas) plus visas not issued. It matches the Commission’s own “not issued rate” for every country.
The 54 countries with 25,000 or more applications
Show or hide the table
| Rank | Country of application | Applications | Decisions | Refused | Refused share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,915,149 | 1,904,861 | 76,655 | 4.0% |
| 2 | Türkiye | 1,268,376 | 1,255,524 | 183,196 | 14.6% |
| 3 | India | 1,153,748 | 1,148,001 | 181,111 | 15.8% |
| 4 | Russian Federation | 679,425 | 673,558 | 42,953 | 6.4% |
| 5 | Morocco | 619,827 | 595,748 | 114,320 | 19.2% |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | 553,967 | 550,463 | 28,467 | 5.2% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 512,426 | 506,166 | 53,398 | 10.5% |
| 8 | Algeria | 444,577 | 440,989 | 137,860 | 31.3% |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | 298,064 | 294,849 | 71,261 | 24.2% |
| 10 | Thailand | 264,190 | 263,374 | 15,544 | 5.9% |
| 11 | Philippines | 235,674 | 234,367 | 16,245 | 6.9% |
| 12 | Egypt | 226,865 | 224,918 | 54,354 | 24.2% |
| 13 | Indonesia | 223,862 | 221,124 | 11,504 | 5.2% |
| 14 | South Africa | 195,946 | 194,250 | 10,203 | 5.3% |
| 15 | Tunisia | 188,579 | 186,741 | 36,673 | 19.6% |
| 16 | United States | 187,033 | 187,232 | 9,194 | 4.9% |
| 17 | Kazakhstan | 182,002 | 179,758 | 16,294 | 9.1% |
| 18 | Belarus | 157,028 | 156,444 | 3,652 | 2.3% |
| 19 | Kuwait | 146,194 | 145,611 | 8,278 | 5.7% |
| 20 | Lebanon | 120,364 | 118,007 | 20,412 | 17.3% |
| 21 | Vietnam | 116,289 | 115,632 | 10,916 | 9.4% |
| 22 | Nigeria | 113,359 | 110,956 | 53,196 | 47.9% |
| 23 | Armenia | 111,550 | 110,900 | 12,081 | 10.9% |
| 24 | Iran | 107,512 | 104,957 | 30,554 | 29.1% |
| 25 | Ecuador | 106,167 | 103,277 | 31,878 | 30.9% |
| 26 | Azerbaijan | 104,143 | 103,626 | 10,130 | 9.8% |
| 27 | Qatar | 102,930 | 101,724 | 15,341 | 15.1% |
| 28 | Pakistan | 89,270 | 87,247 | 40,026 | 45.9% |
| 29 | Côte d’Ivoire | 81,886 | 82,492 | 25,969 | 31.5% |
| 30 | Kenya | 77,760 | 76,271 | 25,227 | 33.1% |
| 31 | Jordan | 73,264 | 72,764 | 15,538 | 21.4% |
| 32 | Angola | 72,766 | 72,078 | 32,712 | 45.4% |
| 33 | Senegal | 71,923 | 71,318 | 36,980 | 51.9% |
| 34 | Iraq | 70,312 | 69,123 | 23,692 | 34.3% |
| 35 | Ghana | 63,725 | 63,142 | 29,354 | 46.5% |
| 36 | Uzbekistan | 61,328 | 61,318 | 9,983 | 16.3% |
| 37 | Cameroon | 57,469 | 56,914 | 22,951 | 40.3% |
| 38 | Oman | 53,700 | 52,838 | 5,566 | 10.5% |
| 39 | Dominican Republic | 52,063 | 50,920 | 13,525 | 26.6% |
| 40 | Congo (Democratic Republic) | 52,048 | 51,133 | 20,508 | 40.1% |
| 41 | Canada | 43,982 | 43,620 | 3,914 | 9.0% |
| 42 | Libya | 43,701 | 43,822 | 6,821 | 15.6% |
| 43 | Singapore | 39,226 | 38,943 | 1,997 | 5.1% |
| 44 | Bangladesh | 38,642 | 38,353 | 20,918 | 54.5% |
| 45 | Cuba | 38,585 | 37,226 | 8,101 | 21.8% |
| 46 | Israel | 31,500 | 30,922 | 5,718 | 18.5% |
| 47 | Kyrgyzstan | 30,843 | 30,712 | 3,367 | 11.0% |
| 48 | Ireland | 30,696 | 30,371 | 931 | 3.1% |
| 49 | Cape Verde | 27,598 | 27,533 | 5,889 | 21.4% |
| 50 | Ethiopia | 26,166 | 25,458 | 8,657 | 34.0% |
| 51 | Congo (Brazzaville) | 25,693 | 25,166 | 12,266 | 48.7% |
| 52 | Sri Lanka | 25,663 | 25,552 | 7,431 | 29.1% |
| 53 | Mauritania | 25,265 | 23,301 | 8,618 | 37.0% |
| 54 | Bahrain | 25,110 | 25,036 | 2,681 | 10.7% |
| All 161 countries | 12,201,026 | 12,074,345 | 1,768,605 | 14.6% |
Rank is by number of applications among all 161 countries. Applications are uniform visas applied for. Decisions are visas issued plus visas not issued, so decisions can differ from applications because some decisions relate to applications made in the previous year. Refused share is B4A’s calculation, rounded to one decimal place.
What these numbers do not show
- Nationality. The Commission counts applications by the country where the consulate is located, not by the applicant’s citizenship. People can apply in a country that is not their own.
- Why applications were refused. The table gives counts, not reasons. A rate is not a verdict on the applicants, on a country or on a consulate.
- Only short-stay visas. These are Schengen short-stay (uniform) visas. Long-stay national visas for study, work or residence are not included.
- Different mixes. Countries differ in the purposes of travel, the consulates that handle the applications and how many applicants apply more than once.
- The chance for one person. Each application is decided on its own evidence, so a country rate says nothing certain about one applicant.
- One year. This page shows 2025 only. Decisions in a year can relate to applications made earlier.
From the Commission file to this page
- We took the counts for each country from the Commission’s 2025 file, sheet “Totals – third country”, downloaded from the Commission’s website on 16 October 2026.
- We recalculated every rate ourselves. For all 161 countries our rate equals the Commission’s published rate, and the rows add up to the grand total of 12,201,026 applications and 1,768,605 refusals.
- AI helped us find and sort the figures. A person checks and approves the key figures and charts before a story is published.
Source: European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs, Schengen visa statistics 2025. © European Union, reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU (CC BY 4.0). Refusal rates are B4A calculations. The Commission does not endorse this page and is not responsible for our calculations. This page is information, not immigration advice. Data sources and disclaimer.
Planning to study or move in Europe?
New Life Europe is our sister practice. It helps students and families compare study routes in Europe and prepare for the move. The numbers on this page are public statistics, not advice on your own case.
Questions people ask
What does refusal rate mean here?
It is the number of visas not issued divided by the number of decisions. A decision is either a visa issued or a visa not issued. This is the same measure the Commission publishes as the “not issued rate”. We call these refusals.
Does this mean my own application will be refused?
No. These are totals for many thousands of applications. Each application is decided on its own evidence. The table cannot tell you the chance for one person, and it gives no reasons. For advice on your case, speak to a licensed immigration adviser.
Is this by nationality?
No. The Commission counts by the country where the application was made. For most countries that is close to the applicants’ own country, but it is not the same thing.
Which visas are included?
Schengen short-stay visas, also called uniform visas, for stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days. Long-stay national visas are not included.
How often do the figures change?
The Commission publishes the figures once a year. This page shows 2025. We will update it when the next year is published.
Can I reuse the data?
Yes. The Commission publishes the data for reuse with the source acknowledged. Our file adds columns with our own calculations, labelled as B4A calculations. Please name the European Commission as the source.
More data stories
Public data on migration, trade, finance, education and tourism, checked against the primary source.
Read: same city, different outcomes
We turn data into decisions
Bring a report, a spreadsheet or a question. We will tell you what the numbers can and cannot say.