As Schengen Visa experts, readers often ask us questions such as, “What are the hardest countries to get a Schengen Visa?” or “What embassies should I avoid submitting my application to?”.

So, we decided to write this post because we want to clear up an important point and bring a little cheer. 

Even though the Schengen Visa application process seems frightfully daunting, you don’t have to worry about it – as long as you know exactly what documents are required and how to fill them out. 

As we have shared in this post, if you have all of the supporting documents filled out correctly, then you can walk into your Schengen Visa interview with confidence – whichever embassy you apply to. 

Yes, it is generally acknowledged that some Schengen countries have high rejection rates, while others have low rejection rates. 

But this doesn’t mean that it’s overwhelmingly difficult to get a Schengen Visa from an embassy with high rejection rates. 

If you’re applying for a country that is known as a “hard country to get a Schengen Visa”, you only need to be cautious and ensure all of your documents meet the Embassy’s requirements. 

Be sure to check out the country’s checklist so that you can collect all the required documents and avoid being rejected due to missing or incorrect documents. 

By doing so, you will be able to get a Visa even from Schengen countries with high rejection rates. 

Table of contents:

  1. Top 12 countries with the highest Schengen Visa refusal rates
  2. The secret to getting your Schengen Visa application approved

1. Top 12 Countries With the Highest Schengen Visa Refusal Rates

Countries With High Schengen Visa Refusal Rates 

Below you will find the 12 countries with the highest Schengen Visa rejection rates according to the statistics published on the official website of the European Commission in 2020.

For more information, you can also see the section of our website entirely dedicated to Schengen Visa statistics

  1. Portugal

With 30% of applications refused and 70% approved, Portugal was the Schengen country with the highest Visa rejection rate in 2020. 

  1. Malta

In 2020, Malta refused 27.8% of the Schengen Visa applications, meaning that only 72.2% of applicants received a positive answer. 

  1. Belgium 

Belgium is another Schengen country that is well-known for its high rejection rates. With 23.6% of applications rejected and only 76.4% approved, you need to be extra cautious when applying for a Visa for Belgium.  

  1. Sweden      

With 23% of Schengen Visa applications refused and 77% approved, this Scandinavian country ranks no. 4 for the Schengen Visa rejection rate. 

  1. France

Even though it has a high rejection rate (18.5% of applications rejected and 81.5% approved), France was the Schengen country with the highest number of Schengen Visa applications received in 2020. 

  1. Spain

In 2020, Spain rejected 17.4% of the Schengen Visa applications. This means that only 82.6% of applicants were granted a Visa to the Schengen Area. 

  1. Netherlands

With a rejection rate of 16.8% and an approval rate of 83.2%, the Netherlands is another country where you should be extra cautious when applying for a Schengen Visa.

  1. Norway 

Norway is another Nordic country where getting a Schengen Visa is trickier, with 16.2% of applications refused and 83.8% approved. 

  1. Slovenia

According to the 2020 statistics, those applying for a Schengen Visa to Slovenia have a 14.8% chance of being rejected and an 85.2% chance of getting a positive answer. 

  1. Germany

In 2020, Germany had a rejection rate of 14.1% and an approval rate of 85.9%. It also ranked no. 2 for the number of Schengen Visa applications received. 

  1. Denmark

According to the European Commission statistics, Denmark rejected 11.8% of the Schengen Visa applications, while the remaining 88.2% were granted a Visa to Europe. 

  1. Italy

While in 2019 Italy had a rejection rate of 7.7%, the situation changed in 2020, when 11.5% of applications were rejected. This means that the remaining 88.5% received a Schengen Visa. 

2. The Secret to Getting Your Schengen Visa Application Approved

Getting the Schengen Visa Approved

Whether you are applying to a country with a lenient Visa policy or one where the Schengen Visa is harder to get, you must take your application very seriously. 

You should get yourself familiarised with the Schengen Visa policy, collect all of the required documents, and prepare for the Schengen Visa interview.   

Unfortunately, that is not always that easy, especially if you allow yourself to feel discouraged by a country’s high rejection rates. 

When you think that each of the 26 Schengen countries has different rejection rates and could require additional documents that are not mandatory for other countries, you may feel scared.

However, this should not frighten you, as we are here to ensure you have the highest chance of success, even if you submit your application to a country with a high rejection rate. 

We at Visas Association know the frustration and confusion that you are likely to feel after spending weeks searching the Internet and are not any closer to knowing what to submit.   

So, if you want to apply for your Visa with confidence (especially if the embassy you are applying to has a high rejection rate), let us guide you through every step of the process. 

We have developed a unique Schengen Embassy Requirements Report (SERR) where we evaluate your personal situation by asking you 7 specific questions. 

Then, we provide you with a set of requirements that is unique to you to ensure you submit the right documents and get a positive answer from the embassy. 

By doing so, you can put all your doubts aside and apply for a Schengen Visa without fear, even if you file your application to an embassy with high rejection rates. 

Getting a Visa To Europe & Schengen Area 

Conclusion: The Schengen Area is currently covering 26 countries without border controls between them, and all of them have different rejection rates. 

However, with all of your documents filled out correctly, you can have high chances of approval even from those countries known as the “hardest countries to get a Schengen Visa”. 

Visas Association is a trusted Visa Agency with a proven track record of helping travellers get their Schengen Visa approved. If you need expert advice and want to be successful with your application, do not hesitate to request your FREE consultation or contact us to find out more about our services.