Malta, Belgium and Portugal Have the Highest Schengen Visa Rejection Rates for 2018

The Schengen consulates abroad rejected 9.6% of the total number of short-stay visa applications in 2018. Statistics show that the rate of turned down applications by the Schengen consulates has continuously increased in the last four years, as follows:

• In 2015, the rejection rate for Schengen visa applications was 6.2%.
• In 2016, the denial rate increased to 6.9%,
• 2% of the overall number of Schengen applications were turned down in 2017.
• The rejection reached 9.6% of the applications in 2018.

Despite being one of the countries with the lowest number of Schengen visa applications received, Malta is once again the country with the highest rejection rate amongst all.

Maltese authorities in charge of processing visa applications turned down 20.4% of the 32,331 applications received. In addition, only 30.5% of the approved applications were granted with a multiple-entry visa. Yet, this is the lowest rejection rate for Malta in the last years. In 2015, Malta rejected 25.2%of the applications, 21.1% in 2016, and 25.2% in 2017.

In 2018, listed second and third in Belgium with a rejection rate of 16.8% and Portugal with 16.6% of the applications denied.

Former Soviet countries part of Schengen had the lowest rejection rates with Lithuania leading the table in this regard. Only 1.3% of the applications for a Schengen visa to Lithuania and 1.6% to Estonia were rejected. Finland and Iceland had both a low rejection rate of only 1.7%.

On the other hand, top countries with the highest rates in terms of rejected applications filed by their nationals and citizens are as follows:

• Nigeria – 49.8%
• Iraq – 47.8%
• Guinea – 46.8%
• Democratic Republic of Congo – 46%
• Algeria  – 45.5%

More statistics:

• Russia Remains the Top Source Country for Schengen Visa Applications also in 2018
• Schengen Consulates Received Over 16 Million Applications in 2018
• Demand for Schengen Visas in China and India Steadily Increasing
• Busiest Schengen Consulates in 2018
• Top Schengen Countries that Received Most Short-stay Visa Applications in 2018
• Number of Schengen Visa Applications From Turkey Drops for the First Time in Years
• Slight Increase in Airport Transit Visa Applications in 2018

For country-specific data and more detailed information visit the new Schengen Visa Statistics Portal.