Schengen short-stay Visa applications rise in 2025 but remain below pre-pandemic levels

EU and Schengen-associated consulates received nearly 12 million applications for short-stay visas in 2025, marking a 1.8% increase from 2024 (11.7 million) and a 15.5% rise from 2023 (10.3 million), according to figures released by the European Commission. However, demand remains well below the 17 million applications recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 10 million visas were issued in 2025 -a 3% increase from 2024 (9.7 million)- but still short of the 15 million granted in 2019. The global refusal rate held steady at 14.8%, unchanged from 2024, though some countries saw significant fluctuations. Refusals fell in Russia (6.4%, down from 7.5%), Algeria (31%, down from 35%), and Ethiopia (34%, down from 36.1%), but rose sharply in Cape Verde (21.4%, up from 13.4%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (40.1%, up from 29.9%), Senegal (51.9%, up from 46.8%), and Burundi (53.4%, up from 40%).

The top five applicant countries remained largely unchanged, with China (1.8 million), Türkiye (1.25 million), India (1.15 million), Russia (679,000), and Morocco (620,000) leading the rankings.

Of the 10 million visas issued, 51.2% (5.1 million) permitted multiple entries into the Schengen area, a slight decline from 52.2% in 2024. Additionally, Schengen states issued 83,790 visas at external borders, down from 85,118 in 2024.

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Short-stay visas issued by Schengen countries

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