Schengen visa applications witnessed a significant increase in 2024, reaching over 11.7 million—representing a 13.4% year-on-year growth, according to newly released data from SchengenVisaInfo. This surge underscores resilient international travel demand, even amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and enhanced border control measures in parts of Europe.
China continued to lead as the top source country for Schengen visa applicants, registering a dramatic 59.2% rise from the previous year. Chinese nationals filed approximately 1.7 million applications in 2024, up from 1.1 million in 2023. France remained the most popular destination among Chinese travellers, receiving 458,018 applications—an increase of nearly 69% from the prior year.
Turkey followed with 1.173 million applications, marking an 11.1% increase. Greek consulates emerged as the top recipient, processing over 296,000 Turkish applications. India ranked third, with 1.108 million applications—a 14.6% annual increase. Switzerland received the highest number of Indian applications, exceeding 217,000.
Morocco and Russia each recorded over 600,000 applications. While Moroccan submissions rose slightly by 2.6%, applications to France from Moroccan nationals declined by 8.9%. Russian applications saw a modest 2.5% increase, with Italy being the most sought-after destination, handling more than 161,000 visa requests.
Other notable contributors included Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Algerian applications surged by 14.8% to 544,634, with France receiving 352,295 of those—an increase of 26.3% from 2023. Saudi Arabian applicants submitted 505,455 applications, with over a third choosing France as their primary destination. From the UK, foreign residents filed 470,569 applications, a 5.74% increase from the previous year, with France again taking the lead at 132,469 applications.
Thailand was the only top-10 country to report a decline, with applications dipping by 1.9%. However, Germany surpassed Switzerland as the preferred destination, receiving close to 40,000 Thai applications. The UAE also saw growth, with applications rising to 260,229—up from 233,932 in 2023. Germany was the most popular choice, attracting 12.6% of all UAE-based requests.
Collectively, the top 10 countries accounted for 62.4% of all Schengen visa applications in 2024, up from 58.7% in 2023. This trend highlights a growing concentration of demand among key international markets, reaffirming Europe’s continued appeal as a global travel destination.
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