Schengen visa rejection rate for Indians: the 2025 numbers, country by country

Last checked 23 October 2026. Every number on this page comes from the European Commission's 2025 Schengen visa statistics workbook and the 2024 workbook, both linked from the Commission's short-stay visa statistics page. We downloaded the files and did the arithmetic ourselves rather than copying figures from news reports.

What was the Schengen visa rejection rate for Indians in 2025?

In 2025, Schengen consulates and their visa centres in India received 11,53,748[source] short-stay visa applications. They issued 9,66,529[source] visas and refused 1,81,111[source]. That gives a rejection rate of 15.8%[source], up from 15.0%[source] in 2024.

Put simply, roughly one Indian application in every six was refused. If you and five colleagues applied for a conference in Europe, the odds say one of you would have stayed home.

Source: European Commission visa statistics for 2025 and 2024 (consulates), checked 23 October 2026.

Three things stand out.

• India got slightly worse while the world got slightly better. The worldwide rate fell from 14.8% to 14.6%. India's rose from 15.0% to 15.8%, so Indian applicants now sit above the global average.
• Demand is still growing. Applications from India rose by about 45,500, or 4%, to a new high of more than 11.5 lakh. India was the 3rd[source] largest source of Schengen applications in the world, behind China and Türkiye.
• More refusals in absolute terms. 1,81,111 refusals is about 15,800 more than in 2024. Each one is a person who paid a non-refundable fee, took leave for an appointment, and then had to cancel or rebook a trip.

How the Commission calculates the rate

The Commission does not simply divide refusals by applications. Its "not issued rate" is refusals divided by the sum of visas issued, limited-validity visas issued and refusals. The difference is small because some applications are withdrawn or still pending at the end of the year. For India in 2025 the calculation is 1,81,111 divided by (9,66,529 + 361 + 1,81,111), which is 15.8%. We use the same formula for every country on this page, so our numbers match the Commission's own totals.

What the data does and does not cover

The figures count uniform Schengen visas (type C, the normal tourist, business and family visit visa) applied for at consulates located in India. They are counted by where the application was lodged, not strictly by passport. In practice the great majority of applicants in India are Indian citizens, but a foreign resident of India applying in Delhi is counted here, and an Indian living in Dubai who applied in Dubai is not. Airport transit visas are excluded. Cyprus is not in the Schengen area yet and reports separately, and Liechtenstein does not issue its own visas, so the table below covers 28 states.

What is the Schengen rejection rate by country for Indian applicants?

Here is every Schengen state that took applications in India in 2025, ordered by the number of applications. We have added the 2024 rate so you can see which consulates got stricter and which got easier.

Liechtenstein has no row in the India data, so the table covers 28 of the 29 Schengen countries.

Source: European Commission, 2025 workbook and 2024 workbook, consulates located in India, uniform visas only. Rates use the Commission's formula described above. Checked 23 October 2026.

The big five, where most Indians actually apply

Switzerland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain together took about 7.7 lakh applications, two out of every three lodged in India. These are the numbers that matter for most families.

• Switzerland received 2,26,044[source] applications, more than any other Schengen state, and refused 13.6%. Its rate rose from 12.0% in 2024. All of its applications in 2025 were recorded at New Delhi.
• France refused 31,058[source] Indian applications, the highest count of any country, for a rate of 15.3%. That is slightly better than 15.9% in 2024.
• Germany refused 10.5%[source], one of the lowest rates among the large consulates, on more than 1.5 lakh applications. Almost every German visa issued in India in 2025 was multiple-entry.
• The Netherlands is the big mover in the wrong direction. Its rate jumped from 16.1% to 20.7%, so roughly one applicant in five was refused.
• Spain held steady at 15.4%.

The countries with the highest refusal rates

Slovenia refused 46.5%[source] of applications from India, close to one in two. Bulgaria (37.9%), Lithuania (35.7%), Greece (33.2%) and Malta (32.1%) follow. Most of these consulates handle small numbers, so a few hundred refusals move the rate a lot. Greece is the exception: it is a popular destination with more than 41,000 applications and still refused a third of them.

Bulgaria's jump from 10.5% to 37.9% in one year is the sharpest change in the table. Bulgaria and Romania became full Schengen members in January 2025, which may have changed who applies to them, but the statistics themselves do not explain the reason, and we will not guess.

The countries with the lowest refusal rates

Denmark (7.1%), Belgium (7.8%), Germany (10.5%) and Sweden (11.5%) refused the smallest share of applications. Finland improved the most, from 20.0% to 13.9%.

Does the city you apply in make a difference?

The statistics also show the consulate city. Applications recorded at New Delhi had an 18.7% refusal rate in 2025, compared with 10.6% at Mumbai, 8.2% at Bengaluru, 18.4% at Chennai, 11.0% at Kolkata and 11.1% at Goa.

Source: European Commission 2025 workbook, consulates in India. Checked 23 October 2026.

Do not read this as "apply in Bengaluru". You cannot choose. Each consulate covers a set of states, and you apply in the jurisdiction where you live. New Delhi also handles all applications for most of the smaller countries with high refusal rates, which pushes its average up. Inside a single country the gap can still be large, though. France refused 27.4% of applications at New Delhi but 7.9% at Bengaluru. The data does not say why. Differences in the type of traveller, the share of first-time applicants and the purpose of travel are the likely reasons.

What do these numbers mean for your own application?

An average of 15.8% hides very different odds for different people. The Commission does not break the data down by age, job or purpose, so nobody can give you an official rate for "salaried first-time tourists from Pune". What we can do is explain which kinds of applicants usually sit above and below the average, based on the refusal grounds consulates use.

First-time tourists

This is the group that carries most of the risk. You have no Schengen history to show that you came back last time, so the officer relies entirely on your documents. A first trip is not a problem in itself. Millions of Indians get their first Schengen visa every year. But your file has to do more work: a clear itinerary, a leave letter, salary credits that match your payslips, and a budget that matches your income.

Families visiting relatives

Visiting a son, daughter or sibling who lives in Europe is a common and legitimate reason to travel. The extra documents are an invitation letter, a copy of your host's residence permit, and sometimes a formal sponsorship or accommodation document required by that country. Refusals in this group are often about the host's paperwork, or about a long stay that makes the officer doubt the return date. Plan a stay length you can explain.

Business travellers

Business applicants with an invitation from a European company, a letter from their own employer and a history of travel usually face fewer questions. The weak spot is the invitation letter itself. A vague letter that does not name the meeting, dates or who pays is treated with suspicion.

Students and young professionals

Applicants in their twenties with a new job, a small salary and no property are the classic profile for the "intention to leave could not be ascertained" box. The answer is not a padded bank balance. It is proof of what brings you back: a job you return to on a fixed date, ongoing studies, or a family business you work in.

Repeat travellers

If you already hold US, UK or earlier Schengen visas and used them correctly, you are in the strongest group. Say so clearly, and attach copies of the old visas and entry stamps. This is also the group that benefits from the multiple-entry rules for Indians explained further down.

Common myths about Schengen rejection rates

• "Apply to the country with the lowest rate." You must apply to your main destination. A false itinerary is itself a refusal reason.
• "A bigger bank balance always helps." A balance far above your income, or a lump sum deposited just before applying, raises questions instead of answering them.
• "An agent can fix it at the consulate." No legitimate agent can influence a decision. Anyone claiming otherwise is selling you a story.
• "A refusal means you are banned." It does not. It means this file did not convince this officer. You can reapply.
• "Visa centres decide." VFS Global, BLS International and similar companies only collect applications and biometrics. The consulate decides.

Is there an easiest Schengen visa for Indians?

Honestly, no. Not in any way you can use.

Searches for "easiest Schengen visa for Indians" usually lead to a list of countries with low refusal rates. The trouble is that the EU Visa Code does not let you choose a consulate for its rate. Article 5 says you must apply to:

1. The country you are visiting, if you are visiting only one.
2. Your main destination, meaning where you spend the most nights or where the main purpose of your trip is, if you are visiting several.
3. The country of first entry, if there is no main destination.

So if your trip is six nights in Paris and two in Amsterdam, you apply to France, whatever France's rate is. Booking an itinerary on paper that puts most nights in Denmark or Belgium, and then travelling mostly elsewhere, is called consulate shopping. Consulates check this. It is a classic reason for a refusal on the ground that "the purpose and conditions of the intended stay" were not justified, and it can cause trouble at the border and on your next application. Our guide on which Schengen country to apply to works through real itineraries.

Where you genuinely have a choice, for example a trip with equal nights in two countries, the first-entry rule decides. You can plan your route honestly, but the reason has to be the trip, not the statistics.

What you can choose

You cannot pick an easy consulate, but you can influence the things that actually drive the rate for people like you.

• Your timing. Apply early in the 6 month window, so a request for more documents does not wreck your dates.
• Your file. Complete, consistent and honest documents are within your control. Most refusals we see are about the file, not the country.
• Your trip design. A clear plan, sensible length and a budget that matches your income look like a real holiday, because they are one.

Why do Indian Schengen applications get refused?

The Commission's statistics count refusals but do not publish the reasons by nationality. What we know about reasons comes from the standard refusal form that every Schengen consulate uses, and from refusal letters our clients bring to us. The same handful of boxes come up again and again.

The single most common pattern we see is not a missing document. It is a file where each paper is fine on its own, but together they tell an unclear story. The payslip says one salary, the bank shows another, the leave letter has different dates from the flights, and the cover letter talks about a different city. A visa officer has a few minutes per file. Contradictions are the fastest route to a refusal.

Read the full breakdown, with what to fix for each box, in our Schengen refusal reasons guide.

Why the Indian rate is above the global average

The data does not explain itself, so treat this as our reading rather than a finding. India sends a large number of first-time travellers, and first-time applicants have no Schengen history to reassure an officer. India's share of multiple-entry visas also fell from 62.8% in 2024 to 57.6% in 2025, which suggests more applicants were new or were given shorter visas. Applications lodged in China, for comparison, had a refusal rate of 4.0% in the same workbook.

What does a Schengen refusal cost you?

A refusal costs more than the visa fee, but the fee is the easiest part to count.

The government fee

The Schengen visa fee is €90[source] for adults and €45[source] for children aged 6 to under 12, and it is not refunded when a visa is refused. Children under 6 pay nothing (European Commission, checked 23 October 2026).

We estimate that applicants in India paid about ₹173 crore[source] in visa fees on applications that were refused in 2025. The arithmetic is 1,81,111 refusals multiplied by €90, converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of ₹106.2490 per euro on 22 October 2026. Treat it as an upper bound for the visa fee alone, because children pay less, some applicants are exempt, and the rupee rate was different when people actually paid. It leaves out the visa centre service charge, which is also not refunded.

The costs nobody counts

• Visa centre charges and optional extras, paid again if you reapply.
• Bookings you cannot use. Refundable hotel bookings are fine. Non-refundable flights and tours are not.
• Leave and travel to the appointment. For applicants outside the big cities, a visa centre visit can mean a day off work and a train ticket.
• Your next application. A refusal stays on the Visa Information System. Every Schengen consulate that sees your next application will see it, and you will need to explain what has changed.
• Other visas. US, UK, Canadian and Australian applications ask whether you have ever been refused a visa anywhere. A Schengen refusal has to be declared.

This is why we tell people that a refusal is the most expensive way to find out that a file was weak.

How can you lower your risk of a Schengen refusal?

None of these steps guarantees a visa. Each one removes a reason that consulates commonly give for refusing one.

1. Apply to the right country. Use the main destination rule honestly. If your plans change after you apply, keep your evidence.
2. Apply at the right time. The application window runs from 6 months to 15 days[source] before you travel. Normal processing is 15 days[source], and it can be extended to 45 days. Applying two to three months ahead leaves room for that.
3. Write a specific cover letter. Say who is travelling, why, where you will stay each night, who pays, and when you return to what. Generic templates are easy to spot.
4. Make your money tell one story. Six months of statements with regular salary or business credits, a balance that comfortably covers the trip, and an explanation with proof for any large recent deposit. Our bank balance calculator gives you a sensible target for your itinerary.
5. Show ties to India. An employer letter with approved leave dates and a return-to-work date, business registration and tax returns if self-employed, property or family obligations where relevant.
6. Match every date and name. Flights, hotels, insurance, leave letter and itinerary should all cover the same days. Names must match your passport exactly.
7. Buy proper insurance. At least €30,000[source] of medical cover, valid in all Schengen states for the whole trip.
8. Declare past refusals. If you were refused before, say so and show what has changed. Hiding a refusal is far worse than having one.
9. Use your travel history. Earlier US, UK, Schengen or other visas that you used correctly are some of the strongest evidence you can give.

Our Schengen document checklist lists what to bring by profile: salaried, self-employed, student, retired and visiting family.

The good news for repeat travellers

The EU adopted a special multiple-entry visa regime for India in April 2024. According to the EU Delegation to India, Indians living in India who have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas in the previous three years can be issued a multiple-entry visa valid for 2 years[source], normally followed by a five-year visa if the passport has enough validity left. Your first one or two applications are the hard ones. Get them right, travel within the rules, and later trips become much simpler.

What should you do if you have already been refused?

Read the refusal form carefully. The boxes that are ticked tell you what the consulate was not satisfied with. The Commission's own guidance says you will be told the reasons for the refusal and how to appeal (European Commission, checked 23 October 2026). The appeal procedure and its deadline depend on the country that refused you and are printed on the form.

You have two options:

• Appeal, if you believe the consulate made a mistake, for example it missed a document that was in your file. Appeals can take weeks or months.
• Reapply, with a new fee, after fixing the cause. This is usually faster when the refusal was about your file rather than a misreading of it.

Reapplying the next week with the same documents rarely works. Our refusal reasons guide explains each box and what to change. If you want a second pair of eyes, refusal analysis is included in our service at no extra cost.

How does this compare with the US and UK?

Our India Visa Refusal Index puts the main destinations side by side with sources. For context, the US Department of State reported an adjusted refusal rate of 22.04%[source] for Indian B visa applicants in fiscal year 2025. The two figures are not measured the same way, so compare them loosely. What they agree on is that a large minority of Indian visitor visa applications are refused, and that most of those refusals come down to how convincing the file and the applicant are.

Methodology and sources

• Data: European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 workbook (published 28 May 2026) and 2024 workbook. Both are linked from the Commission's statistics page.
• Rows used: the "Data for consulates" sheet, filtered to consulates located in India, summed by Schengen state and by consulate city. Our India totals match the Commission's own "Totals - third country" sheet exactly (11,53,748 applications and 1,81,111 not issued in 2025).
• Rate: not issued divided by (uniform visas issued plus limited-validity visas issued plus not issued), the Commission's formula. Rounded to one decimal place.
• Fees estimate: 1,81,111 multiplied by €90 multiplied by ₹106.2490, the ECB euro reference rate for 22 October 2026. An estimate, not an official figure.
• What we did not use: news reports, which in some cases rounded or calculated rates differently. Where a news figure differed from the workbook, the workbook wins.
• Checked: 23 October 2026. We will update this page when the Commission publishes 2026 data, usually in late spring of the following year.

If you spot an error, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it with a dated note, as described in our editorial policy.

Where to go from here

If you are planning a Schengen trip, start with the free refusal risk checker. It takes about two minutes and shows the three things most likely to hurt your application. Then read the Schengen fees guide so you know the full cost before you book anything.

If you would rather hand the file to someone who does this every day, our Schengen service is ₹5,999 per traveller including GST. We build your checklist, review every document, fill your application form, write your cover letter and itinerary, and prepare you for your visa centre appointment. Government and visa centre fees are paid at cost. We cannot promise a visa, and nobody honest can, but we can make sure your file does not give the consulate an easy reason to say no.