Millions to thousands of applications for Schengen visas are submitted annually by citizens of third-country nations. The Schengen member states’ criteria will determine whether or not to grant these visa requests.

Nonetheless, there is a clear pattern showing that nations with greater rejection rates have a few things in common. These nations frequently get a sizable percentage of rejections for their visa requests, whether it’s because of immigration rates or the volume of applications submitted.

According to a thorough investigation, nationalities that experience more visa rejections typically belong to one or more of the following groups:

More Likely to Originate in Asia or Africa

1.6 million visa applications were denied by Schengen states in 2023, accounting for 15.8% of all visa applications. The percentage of visas denied out of all requests is shown by the rejection rate.

Six of the ten nations with the greatest rejection rates in 2023 were from Africa, according to data from Schengen Visa Statistics. Schengen states rejected between 57 and 41 percent of the applications submitted; these countries had the greatest rejection percentages, including Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Mali, Guinea, and Senegal.

Asians from Bangladesh, Syria, and Pakistan are also on the list. There was a 48.2 percent rejection rate for Pakistani nationals, with 41,798 out of 86,698 visa applications being turned down. 45.9 percent of visa applications to Syria were denied, and 42.8 percent of visa applications from Bangladesh were denied.

Frequently Have Low GDP per Person

Eight of the ten nations with the highest rejection rates in 2023 have low GDP per capita; information on Pakistan and Syria was unavailable. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports these nations’ GDP per capita as follows:

$1,380 (€1,290) for Comoros

Bissau, Guinea: €1,019

Ghana: 2,086 euros

Guinea: €1,543; Mali: €840

Senegal: €1,777

Bangladesh: 2,479 euros

Haiti: 1,814 euros

Of them, only Bangladesh surpasses €2,333 ($2,500) in GDP per person; the other countries have GDPs below this level.

possess greater rates of immigration

In the EU, the majority of nationalities with high rejection rates also have high asylum rates. 

As per the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), 12,367 asylum applications were submitted by Syrians till April 2024, making them the most numerous applicants. Bangladeshis submitted 4,300 asylum requests, placing them sixth globally.

As seen by the following figures, nationalities with greater rates of Schengen visa rejections also tend to file for asylum more frequently:

112 Comorians

Bissau-Portuguese: 42

Ghanaians: 187

2,154 Malians

Guineans: 1, 585

Senegal: 1,214

4,003 people from Bangladesh

1,191 Haitians

2,084 Pakistanis and 12,367 Syrians

These patterns demonstrate the relationship between high rates of visa denial and variables like immigration patterns, economic status, and place of origin.