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Key Takeaways from 2024 Schengen Visa Statistics

The year 2024 saw a high volume of Schengen visa applications, with a corresponding surge in rejections, although the overall rejection rate slightly decreased compared to the previous year.

• A total of 11.7 million visa applications were filed to the 28 Schengen states that received applications in 2024.
• Approximately 1.7 million of these applications were rejected.
• The average rejection rate across all Schengen states was 14.8 per cent in 2024, down from 16 per cent in 2023.
• In terms of sheer numbers, Schengen states rejected more visas in 2024 than they did in the previous year.
• Malta stood out for recording the highest rejection rates for the second year in a row.

Malta Leads the Top 10 for Highest Rejection Rates

Malta recorded the highest rejection rate in 2024. With 16,905 rejections out of 45,578 applications received, Malta’s rejection rate stood at 38.5 per cent. This was the highest rate among all 28 countries that received visa applications last year.

The list of the top ten countries most likely to reject a Schengen visa application in 2024 shows a similar pattern to 2023 but indicates an overall surge in rejection rates.

Top 10 Schengen Countries by Rejection Rate (2024)

Rejection Rates by Applicant Nationality

In addition to country rejection rates, the statistics show a significant disparity based on the applicant’s nationality. Nationalities with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates in 2024 included Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, among others, with rejection rates exceeding 62 per cent for some of these applicants.