Same city, different outcomes: Schengen visa refusals in Pakistan and Bangladesh
In 2025, applications made in Islamabad for Denmark were refused 78.7% of the time. For Germany, which has consulates in Islamabad and Karachi, the share was 24.2%. In Dhaka, Sweden refused 74.5%. These 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.
Denmark, applications made in Pakistan: 4,325 of 5,499 decisions refused.
Germany, applications made in Pakistan: 4,597 of 19,006 decisions refused.
Sweden, applications made in Bangladesh: 10,173 of 13,659 decisions refused.
Refusals by Schengen state, applications made in Pakistan
Across all states, 40,026 of 87,247 decisions on applications made in Pakistan were refusals (45.9%). By state the share runs from 6.4% (Sweden) to 78.7% (Denmark).
Source: European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (sheet ‘Data for consulates’). Checked against the file on 16 October 2026. Refused share calculated by B4A: visas not issued divided by visas issued (including multiple-entry and limited-validity visas) plus visas not issued. Germany and Italy have consulates in Islamabad and Karachi, and their figures combine both. Within Germany, Islamabad alone is 22.4% and Karachi alone 25.9%.
Refusals by Schengen state, applications made in Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Across all states, 20,918 of 38,353 decisions were refusals (54.5%). Sweden alone accounts for 10,173 of those refusals. Without Sweden the share for the other states together is 43.5% (B4A calculation).
Source: European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (sheet ‘Data for consulates’). Checked against the file on 16 October 2026. Refused share calculated by B4A in the same way. Every state in this chart handles Bangladesh applications in Dhaka.
The figures behind the charts
Pakistan: show or hide the table
| Schengen state | Consulate cities | Applications | Decisions | Refused | Refused share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Islamabad | 5,539 | 5,499 | 4,325 | 78.7% |
| Austria | Islamabad | 2,543 | 2,398 | 1,758 | 73.3% |
| Romania | Islamabad | 801 | 801 | 563 | 70.3% |
| Poland | Islamabad | 690 | 709 | 480 | 67.7% |
| Hungary | Islamabad | 1,701 | 1,658 | 1,114 | 67.2% |
| Belgium | Islamabad | 4,987 | 4,887 | 2,807 | 57.4% |
| Spain | Islamabad | 12,296 | 10,090 | 5,600 | 55.5% |
| Netherlands | Islamabad | 13,108 | 12,944 | 6,914 | 53.4% |
| Switzerland | Islamabad | 4,682 | 4,682 | 2,351 | 50.2% |
| Portugal | Islamabad | 2,300 | 2,331 | 1,119 | 48.0% |
| Bulgaria | Islamabad | 393 | 370 | 173 | 46.8% |
| Italy | Islamabad + Karachi | 10,809 | 11,154 | 4,370 | 39.2% |
| France | Islamabad | 9,503 | 9,598 | 3,575 | 37.2% |
| Greece | Islamabad | 631 | 628 | 226 | 36.0% |
| Germany | Islamabad + Karachi | 18,792 | 19,006 | 4,597 | 24.2% |
| Czech Republic | Islamabad | 398 | 398 | 48 | 12.1% |
| Sweden | Islamabad | 97 | 94 | 6 | 6.4% |
| All states | 89,270 | 87,247 | 40,026 | 45.9% |
Bangladesh: show or hide the table
| Schengen state | Consulate cities | Applications | Decisions | Refused | Refused share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | Dhaka | 13,462 | 13,659 | 10,173 | 74.5% |
| Italy | Dhaka | 6,521 | 6,550 | 3,948 | 60.3% |
| Netherlands | Dhaka | 515 | 509 | 242 | 47.5% |
| France | Dhaka | 4,908 | 4,830 | 2,283 | 47.3% |
| Spain | Dhaka | 3,608 | 3,295 | 1,303 | 39.5% |
| Denmark | Dhaka | 2,451 | 2,414 | 866 | 35.9% |
| Germany | Dhaka | 5,889 | 5,808 | 1,745 | 30.0% |
| Switzerland | Dhaka | 1,288 | 1,288 | 358 | 27.8% |
| All states | 38,642 | 38,353 | 20,918 | 54.5% |
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. Only states with their own consulate listed for the country are shown. Refused share is B4A’s calculation, rounded to one decimal place.
What these numbers do not show
- Why the shares differ. The Commission gives counts, not reasons. States can differ in the kinds of applicants they receive, the purposes of travel, the rules they apply and how many applications their consulates can handle.
- Fairness. A higher share is not proof that a state treats applicants unfairly, and a lower share is not proof that it treats them well. The data cannot say either.
- Nationality. The counts are by the country where the consulate is located, not by citizenship.
- Only short-stay visas. Long-stay national visas for study, work or residence are not included.
- Combined cities. Germany and Italy figures for Pakistan combine Islamabad and Karachi.
- One person. Each application is decided on its own evidence, so a state’s share says nothing certain about one applicant.
- One year. This page shows 2025 only.
From the Commission file to this page
- We took the counts for each consulate and Schengen state from the Commission’s 2025 file, sheet “Data for consulates”, downloaded on 16 October 2026.
- We added up the consulates in each city and country and recalculated every rate. The states in the Pakistan table add up to 89,270 applications and 40,026 refusals, and those in the Bangladesh table to 38,642 and 20,918. These equal the Commission’s country totals.
- 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.
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Questions people ask
Why is the refused share so different between states in the same city?
The data does not say. Each state sets its own checks within common Schengen rules, receives its own mix of applicants and travel purposes, and has its own consulate capacity. The Commission publishes counts, not reasons.
Does this mean I should apply to a particular country?
No. These are totals for thousands of applications, and each application is decided on its own evidence. The table cannot tell you the chance for one person. For advice on your case, speak to a licensed immigration adviser.
Why does the page say applications made in Pakistan, not Pakistani applicants?
The Commission counts by the country where the consulate is located, not by citizenship. For most applications the two are close, but they are not the same thing.
Why is Sweden so different in Dhaka and Islamabad?
The data does not give a reason. In Dhaka, 10173 of 13659 Swedish decisions were refusals (74.5%). In Islamabad it was 6 of 94 (6.4%). The mix of applicants and visa purposes may differ between the two.
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.
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.
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