181,000+ Indian Schengen Visa Applications Failed In 2025: List Of Countries With Highest Rejection Rates

Last Updated:May 30, 2026, 18:47 IST

Schengen Visa: Slovenia emerged as the toughest Schengen destination for Indian applicants, with a non-issuance rate of 46.1%.

Schengen Visa: More than 181,000 Schengen visa applications submitted by Indian travelers did not result in a visa being issued in 2025, according to newly released data from the European Commission. India remained the world’s third-largest source market for Schengen visas last year, with 1.15 million applications filed. However, 181,111 of those applications were not issued visas, resulting in an overall non-issuance rate of 15.8%.

The figures mean that roughly one in every six Schengen visa applications submitted by Indians failed to result in a visa. While several major European destinations maintained relatively low non-issuance rates, others recorded rates that were more than double the average.

Which Schengen Countries Had Highest Non-Issuance Rates For Indians?

Slovenia emerged as the toughest Schengen destination for Indian applicants, with a non-issuance rate of 46.1%. Nearly half of all applications submitted for Slovenian visas did not result in a visa being granted. Bulgaria followed with a non-issuance rate of 37%, while Greece recorded a rate of 33%, meaning about one in three Indian applicants failed to secure a visa. Malta and Estonia also reported high rates of 31.7% and 30.1%, respectively.

Among higher-volume destinations, Greece stood out for combining strong demand with a high non-issuance rate. The Greek Embassy in New Delhi processed more than 41,000 applications from Indians in 2025, with 13,532 applications not resulting in a visa.

The Netherlands and Austria also reported rates above the overall average. The Netherlands recorded a non-issuance rate of 20.6%, while Austria’s stood at 21.6%.

Which Schengen Countries Were More Likely To Approve Indian Visa Applications?

Germany, which processed more than 153,000 applications from India, reported a non-issuance rate of 10.5%. Italy recorded a rate of 12.7%, while Switzerland- the most sought-after Schengen destination among Indians in 2025- reported a rate of 13.6%. Belgium and Denmark recorded some of the lowest non-issuance rates among major destinations, at 7.7% and 6.9%, respectively.

Which Schengen Countries Recorded Highest Number Of Non-Issued Visas

Switzerland recorded about 30,700 non-issued applications, followed by France with roughly 29,500, the Netherlands with about 20,100, Germany with around 16,000 and Greece with approximately 13,500.

What Do The Numbers Reveal About Schengen Visa Outcomes?

The data suggests that while demand for European travel among Indians remains strong, visa outcomes can vary considerably depending on the destination country. Applicants targeting countries such as Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece faced significantly higher odds of not receiving a visa than those applying to Germany, Switzerland or Italy.

News world 181,000+ Indian Schengen Visa Applications Failed In 2025: List Of Countries With Highest Rejection Rates

Read More