NEW DELHI: Indians remained the third largest applicants for Schengen visas globally in 2025, with 1.15 million applications and a rejection rate of 15.8%. Chinese nationals topped the list with 1.8 million applications and a rejection rate of 4.1%, followed by Turkish nationals with 1.25 million applications and a 14.6% rejection rate, according to data released by the European Commission (EC).
Top Applicant Countries
The top five applicant countries remained largely unchanged, the EC noted, with applicants from Russia (680,000) and Morocco (620,000) occupying the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Indian Applications Rise Despite Costs
Despite soaring international airfares and the rupee's steep depreciation since last year, which have made foreign travel more expensive, 2025 saw 4% more Indians applying for Schengen visas than in 2024. The rejection rate for Indian applicants also climbed from 15% to 15.8% during this period.
"After the budget-friendly and closer to home Middle East and Southeast Asia, Europe has been top of the list for Indian globetrotters with its varied attractions, including Switzerland, Greece, Amsterdam, France and others. We are now seeing a rising trend of sports tourism with a significant number of Indians going to watch matches there," said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO at MakeMyTrip.
Top Schengen Destinations for Indians
Among EU and Schengen-associated consulates, Switzerland received the maximum applications in India at nearly 230,000, with a country-specific rejection rate of 13.6%. This was followed by France with over 200,000 applications, Germany with 150,000, the Netherlands with just under 100,000, and Spain with about 91,000. Other major magnets for visa applicants included the embassies of Italy, Austria, Greece, Belgium and Sweden.
"Switzerland and France have really smoothened visa application processes in India in terms of both getting dates and turnaround time for getting the stamped passport back. While the overall turnaround time is 15 working days for Schengen states, Switzerland and France return in 7-10 days. Italy has a major issue in date availability," said a leading travel agent who did not wish to be named.
At 46.5%, the highest rejection rate for Indian applicants was recorded in Slovenia.
Indian Outbound Travel Trends
Overall, 33 million Indians travelled abroad in 2025, 6% more than in 2024 and 21.5% more than pre-Covid 2019. Their top five destinations, according to government data, were: UAE (8.6 million), Saudi Arabia (3.4 million), Thailand (2.2 million), USA (2 million) and Singapore (1.5 million).
Global Schengen Visa Statistics
According to the European Commission, EU and Schengen-associated consulates globally received nearly 12 million applications for short-stay visas in 2025 and over 10 million visas were granted. While more than in 2024, both the number of applications and visas granted were below pre-Covid levels.
"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%)," said the EC.
