The Schengen visa is renowned for its complexity and stringent requirements, making it notoriously difficult to obtain. The Schengen Area is a zone comprising 26 European countries. While the idea behind the Schengen visa is to facilitate travel within this area, the intricate process involved in acquiring it can be quite challenging. However, India ranked second globally in the percentage of Schengen visa rejections, costing the country an estimated ₹87 crore in lost travel.
This Is How Much India Lost On Schengen Visa Rejection
Applications for Schengen visas from India increased by 415% in 2022 as travel picked up. According to Mint, last year, India received 671,928 visa applications. Out of which 18% (121,188) were turned down. This rejection percentage is greater than the global average rejection rate of 17.9% in 2022. India’s rate in 2021 was 23.3%.
According to the publication, for Indian nationals aged 12 and older with a regular passport, the application price is now €80 or ₹7,200. Children under the age of 12, students, nonprofit organisation representatives, and foreign nationals pay a different charge. India likely spent roughly ₹480 crores on visa applications on average last year. That means we lost about ₹87 crores as a result of those numbered rejected applications.
Also Read: Schengen Visa System To Get Cheaper, Mostly Digital; No More Stickers On Passport & More Changes
India Also Has The Second-Highest Rejection Rates
The Schengen visa demands extensive documentation to support the application. This includes proof of travel insurance, flight reservations, accommodation bookings, detailed itineraries, financial statements, employment letters, and more. With 121,188 and 120,876 denials, respectively, India and Turkey were not far behind with rejection rates of 18% and 15.2%.
India has an 18% refusal rate for visas, according to a schengenvisainfo study. However according to a Business Today article, more than 6 lakh applications from Indians were submitted in the previous year. In actuality, the country has the third-highest number of applications for Schengen visas. India is ranked second on this list despite having a far lower percentage of visa rejections than Algeria because of the sheer volume of denied visas.
Schengen visa applications face a considerable risk of rejection. Various factors contribute to the high rejection rates, such as incomplete or incorrect documentation, lack of sufficient financial proof, insufficient travel insurance coverage, and doubts about the applicant’s intention to return home. Rejection not only means the loss of time and effort but can also have a negative impact on future visa applications.
Has your Schengen Visa got rejected too?
Cover image credits: Canva
First Published: July 11, 2023 2:20 PM