India is third, among countries with the highest losses from Schengen visas. In 2024, there was a total financial loss of about ₹136 crore in non-refundable fees from over 1.65 lakh Schengen visa application rejections from India. The other two countries are Algeria and Turkey.
The rejection rate stands at 15% per data from the European Commission.
According to a report by Conde Nast, about 11.08 lakh Schengen visa applications have been lodged from India, of which 5.91 lakh were approved and 1.65 lakh were denied.
Turkey, Morocco and China also add to the list of countries with a high rejection rate. The total number of rejected Schengen visa applications went past 17 lakhs in 2024. This generated €145 million (₹1,410 crore) in fees from unsuccessful applicants, of which Indians contributed €14 million (₹136.6 crore) to.
Most of the Indian visas were rejected by France, which accounts for 31,314 applications. After this there are Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Netherlands which account for 26,126, 15,806, 15,150, 14,569 rejections respectively.
Moreover, the application cost for Schengen visas have also been increased from €80 to €90, for Indian applicants aged 12 and above. Children below 12, students, representatives of non-profit organisations, and other special cases, have been exempt from the increased fee structure.
The high rejection rate and financial losses have caused concern among travel agencies and travellers alike. In addition, this impacts tourism, businesses and academic opportunities between the countries too.
It also highlights the need for clearer guidelines and more efficient application processes to facilitate travel between India and European countries
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