In 2024, a European vacation remained an unfulfilled dream for over 1.65 lakh Indian travellers, who were met instead with steep financial disappointment. Data released by the European Commission revealed that Indian applicants lost a staggering ₹136 crore in non-refundable Schengen visa fees due to application rejections.
India ranked third globally in total financial losses from Schengen visa denials, behind only Algeria and Turkey. Out of the 11.08 lakh applications submitted from India, 1,65,266 were rejected—translating to a rejection rate of nearly 15%. Each Schengen visa application cost an average of €85 (₹8,270), following a mid-year fee revision from €80 to €90. The total outlay by Indian applicants in 2024 stood at approximately ₹916 crore.
France led the list of countries rejecting the highest number of Indian applications, with 31,314 denials resulting in a financial loss of around ₹25.8 crore. Other countries with significant rejection-related losses included Switzerland (₹21.6 crore), Germany (₹13 crore), Spain (₹12.5 crore), and the Netherlands (₹12 crore).
When ranked by rejection percentages, Slovenia topped the list with a rejection rate of 50.8%, having turned down more than half of the 2,787 applications it received. Malta and Greece followed, with rejection rates of 44.9% and 31.5%, respectively. Despite having lower rejection rates, high-volume destinations such as France and Switzerland contributed more significantly to the overall number of refusals.
Travel experts have emphasized that where applicants choose to submit their visa applications can heavily influence the outcome. “Where you apply for your visa is often more important than where you want to go,” said one visa consultant, highlighting the strategic considerations travellers must now make in light of varying rejection patterns across embassies.
Overall, the European Union collected approximately €145 million (₹1,410 crore) in visa fees from denied applicants in 2024. Indian travellers alone contributed €14 million (₹136.6 crore) to that sum—without reimbursement and without setting foot in Europe. The figures paint a stark picture of the financial and emotional toll of visa rejections and underscore the growing need for smarter, data-driven application strategies.
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