More than 12.2 million Schengen short-stay visa applications were filed globally in 2025, with over 85% approved, according to official European Commission figures. The experience differed sharply depending on which country processed the application, with refusal rates among the 10 busiest consular services ranging from 10.8% to 23.3%. The ten largest Schengen processors collectively handled nearly 10.5 million applications and issued close to 9 million visas during the year.
France led the field by a wide margin, receiving 3.1 million applications and granting 2.6 million visas. Spain ranked second with 1.7 million applications and 1.4 million visas issued, while Germany came third with 1.5 million applications and 1.3 million visas approved. Italy, which processed 1.3 million applications, posted the lowest refusal rate in the top 10 at 10.8%, issuing 1.1 million visas.
Among the top three by volume, Germany's 13.1% refusal rate concealed significant variation by nationality. Chinese applicants faced a refusal rate of just 3.5%, while Turkish applicants were refused at a rate of 25.1% and Egyptian applicants at 20.7%. France's 14.2% refusal rate fell slightly below the global average of 14.6%, though the country lagged on multiple-entry visa issuance.
Portugal was the most restrictive of the 10 largest processors, refusing 23.3% of applications, the highest rate in the group and well above the Schengen average. The Netherlands also stood out, turning down 17.7% of applicants. Portugal ranked alongside Malta, Belgium, Estonia, and Sweden among the five countries with the highest refusal rates across the entire Schengen zone.
Outside the top ten by volume, Slovakia recorded the lowest refusal rate in the Schengen area at 9.6% on 18,033 applications, the only member state to fall below the 10% threshold. Romania and Latvia also ranked among the most approving consulates, though all three handle considerably fewer applications than the busiest processors.
Applicants cannot freely select the most lenient consulate; however, Schengen rules require travellers to submit their application to the country where they intend to spend the most time or the first point of entry if time is divided equally between destinations. Within those constraints, Italy and Austria offer the most favourable approval odds among the ten largest visa processors.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services warned Kenyan and other visa applicants about people promising faster approvals for a fee. The agency listed common scam tactics and urged applicants to rely on official information and qualified representatives. KEY_POINT: The European Commission reported over 12.2 million Schengen visa applications filed worldwide in 2025. KEY_POINT: Italy recorded the lowest refusal rate of 10.8% among the top ten processors. KEY_POINT: Germany issued the highest share of multiple-entry visas at 51.7%.
