Indians Remain Third-Largest Schengen Visa Applicants Despite Higher Rejection Rate

Indian travellers continued to rank among the world’s biggest seekers of Schengen visas in 2025, submitting 11.5 lakh applications and retaining their position as the third-largest applicant group globally, according to data released by the European Commission (EC).

China topped the list with 18 lakh applications and a rejection rate of just 4.1%, while Turkey followed with 12.5 lakh applications and a refusal rate of 14.6%. India recorded a rejection rate of 15.8%, up slightly from 15% in 2024.

The European Commission noted that the top five applicant countries remained largely unchanged, with Russia and Morocco occupying the fourth and fifth spots, registering 6.8 lakh and 6.2 lakh applications respectively.

Indian Demand for Europe Remains Strong

Despite rising international travel costs, expensive airfares and a weaker rupee, demand for European travel among Indians remained robust.

The EC data showed that Schengen visa applications from India rose 4% year-on-year in 2025, reflecting sustained interest in European destinations.

Industry experts say Europe continues to be among the most preferred long-haul destinations for Indian travellers.

Rajesh Magow, co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, said destinations such as Switzerland, Greece, France and the Netherlands continue to attract Indian tourists, while sports tourism is also emerging as a major trend.

Switzerland Tops Schengen Destinations for Indians

Among Schengen countries, Switzerland received the highest number of visa applications from India, processing nearly 2.3 lakh requests with a rejection rate of 13.6%.

France followed with more than 2 lakh applications, while Germany received around 1.5 lakh applications. The Netherlands and Spain were also among the most popular destinations for Indian travellers.

Italy, Austria, Greece, Belgium and Sweden rounded out the list of preferred Schengen destinations.

Travel industry representatives attributed the popularity of Switzerland and France partly to easier appointment availability and faster processing timelines compared to some other European missions.

According to travel agents, while the standard Schengen visa processing period is around 15 working days, Switzerland and France often return passports within seven to ten days. Italy, meanwhile, continues to face challenges related to appointment availability.

Rejection Rates Vary Widely

At the country level, Slovenia recorded the highest rejection rate for Indian applicants, refusing nearly 46.5% of applications.

Overall, however, Indian outbound travel continued its upward trajectory. Government data showed that 3.3 crore Indians travelled overseas in 2025, a 6% increase over 2024 and 21.5% higher than pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019.

The most visited overseas destinations for Indians were the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United States and Singapore.

Global Schengen Applications Rise

According to the European Commission, EU and Schengen-associated missions worldwide received nearly 1.2 crore short-stay visa applications in 2025 and issued more than 1 crore visas.

While application volumes increased compared to 2024, they remained below the pre-pandemic peak of 2019.

The global visa refusal rate remained unchanged at 14.8%, although significant variations were recorded across countries. Refusal rates declined in countries such as Russia, Algeria and Ethiopia, while rising sharply in Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Burundi.

The latest figures underline the continued appeal of Europe among international travellers, with Indians remaining one of the largest contributors to global Schengen visa demand despite higher rejection rates and rising travel costs.