Japa: 5 EU Countries Most Likely to Approve Your Schengen Visa

Every year, millions of people apply for Schengen visas, but the chances of approval can differ depending on the country. Some Schengen states are more likely to grant visas than others, and this can be influenced by various social, cultural, or economic factors.

According to SchengenVisaInfo, the approval rates for Schengen visas can vary significantly between countries. Drawing from 2023 data, SchengenNews has pinpointed the top Schengen countries that are most likely to grant visas to applicants from different nationalities.

For Chinese Citizens

If you’re a Chinese citizen looking to visit the Schengen Area, Germany is your best bet. In 2023, Germany approved an impressive 97.05% of the 160,479 visa applications it received from Chinese nationals. That’s a total of 155,950 approved visas.

The top five Schengen countries with the highest approval rates for Chinese citizens are:

1. Germany – 97.05%
2. Netherlands – 96.31%
3. Switzerland – 94.78%
4. Italy – 94.02%
5. Norway – 93.68%

For Turkish Citizens

Turkish citizens face varying approval rates across different Schengen countries. In 2023, the countries with the highest approval rates for Turkish applicants were:

1. Portugal – 93%
2. Italy – 91.08%
3. Slovakia – 88.77%
4. Poland – 86.56%
5. Spain – 86.50%

For Indian Citizens

In 2023, Indian nationals who applied for a Schengen visa had the highest approval rate in Iceland. India is the third-largest source of Schengen visa applications after China and Turkey, with 966,687 applications submitted.

The five Schengen countries most likely to approve visas for Indian citizens are:

1. Iceland – 95.43%
2. Germany – 89.53%
3. Switzerland – 88.02%
4. Belgium – 85.81%
5. Luxembourg – 85.79%

For Moroccan Citizens

Moroccan passport holders saw an approval rate of 73.90% in 2023, with 437,029 visas granted out of 591,401 applications. The countries most likely to approve visas for Moroccan nationals are:

1. Switzerland – 83.89%
2. Poland – 83.12%
3. France – 81.26%
4. Portugal – 80.05%
5. Czechia – 75.60%

For Russian Citizens

In 2023, Russian citizens had a high visa approval rate, with 448,890 out of 520,387 applications approved, equating to an 86.26% approval rate. The top Schengen countries for Russian visa approvals were:

1. Poland – 99.61%
2. Iceland – 97.50%
3. Slovakia – 93.65%
4. Italy – 93.47%
5. Czechia – 92.58%

For Algerian Citizens

Algerian nationals had an approval rate of 63.01% in 2023, with 298,691 visas granted out of 474,032 applications. The EU countries with the highest approval rates for Algerian applicants were:

1. Czechia – 69.06%
2. France – 66.61%
3. Finland – 63.16%
4. Germany – 62.27%
5. Switzerland – 60.61%

For Saudi Citizens

Saudi nationals, who made up the seventh-largest group of Schengen visa applicants in 2023, experienced high approval rates. The countries most likely to grant visas to Saudi citizens were:

1. Slovakia – 100%
2. Switzerland – 97.06%
3. Austria – 96.97%
4. Italy – 96.30%
5. Spain – 94.32%

For UK Residents Needing a Schengen Visa

UK residents filed 405,631 visa applications in 2023. The countries with the highest approval rates for these applications were:

1. Iceland – 98.50%
2. Czechia – 98.35%
3. Poland – 97.18%
4. Netherlands – 96.37%
5. Portugal – 96.21%

For Thai Citizens

Thai nationals had an overall approval rate of 93.16% in 2023, with 252,013 out of 270,504 applications approved. The top five Schengen countries for Thai visa approvals were:

1. Austria – 97.46%
2. Switzerland – 97.26%
3. Czechia – 96.14%
4. Italy – 96.08%
5. Portugal – 96.01%

For UAE Residents Needing a Schengen Visa

While UAE citizens don’t need a visa to enter the Schengen Area, residents of the UAE from countries without visa liberalization agreements do. In 2023, the Schengen countries with the highest approval rates for UAE residents were:

1. Poland – 87.45%
2. Italy – 86.45%
3. Portugal – 84.76%
4. Switzerland – 82.01%
5. Belgium – 81.22%

FAQs

1. Which Schengen country has the highest visa approval rate for Chinese citizens?

• Germany has the highest approval rate for Chinese nationals, approving 97.05% of applications in 2023.

1. Are there Schengen countries that have a 100% approval rate for visa applicants?

• Yes, Slovakia had a 100% approval rate for Saudi applicants in 2023.

1. Do UK citizens need a visa to enter the Schengen Area?

• No, UK citizens don’t need a visa, but UK residents from countries without visa-free agreements do.