It’s no secret that Europe is a top choice for travellers from the UAE. Especially during summer, when residents are making extensive plans, they wish to travel to Europe to enjoy a much-needed break from the blistering summers and the mundanity of daily life. However, the latest data revealed that UAE residents lost a whopping AED20.6 million in 2024 due to the rejection of Schengen visa applications. Here’s more you need to know about this report.
UAE Residents Lose AED20.6 million In Schengen Visa Rejection In 2024
According to the latest data as revealed by Schengen Visa Info, about 2,60,229 applications were filed for Europe from the UAE. This marks an 11.24% increase in 2024, as compared to 2023, as mentioned in a report by Khaleej Times. However, out of these, 61,738 applications were rejected! As a result, this accounted for a 23.72% rejection rate, which is a stark rise when compared to the 18% rejection rate for 2023.
UAE Is The 10th Highest Country In Applications
Not only this, UAE residents made up 2.2% of all the global applications, which puts the emirate as the 10th highest country when it comes to the volume of applications submitted in 2024. As a result, in total, UAE applicants spent nearly AED87 million on Schengen Visas in 2024. This cost totalled up, as the entry permit costs AED333 until June 11, 2024, and it did not include any additional service and documentation fees. However, out of the total number of visa applications submitted, 1,98,093 Schengen Visas were granted to residents in 2024. As a result, they ended up losing AED20 million in rejection.
Also Read: Saudi Arabia Deploys Drones Over Makkah To Catch Illegal Pilgrims This Hajj Season
Top 10 Destinations For UAE Residents
Talking about the top Schengen Visa destinations, Germany was the most preferred by UAE residents, as it received 32,956 applications. Take a look at the entire list of the top 10 places below.
- Germany
Applications: 32,956 - Netherlands
Applications: 29,473 - France
Applications: 28,778 - Switzerland
Applications: 27,148 - Spain
Applications: 24,799 - Italy
Applications: 23,240 - Greece
Applications: 17,974 - Denmark
Applications: 12,846 - Norway
Applications: 12,007 - Hungary
Applications: 9,717
This development comes at a time when we informed you that Croatia and Denmark had the highest rejection rate for 2024 in a previous article.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (Images are for representative purposes only)
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