Fresh data from the European Commission reveals that Indian nationals faced a significant number of Schengen visa rejections in 2025. Out of 1.15 million applications filed by Indian citizens, 181,111 did not result in a visa being issued, marking a non-issuance rate of 15.8%. India maintained its position as the world's third-largest source market for Schengen visas, yet the approval rates varied widely among member states.
Slovenia Leads in Visa Denials
Slovenia emerged as the country with the highest rejection rate, with 46.1% of all Indian applications being turned away—nearly one in two. Following Slovenia, Bulgaria reported a 37% non-issuance rate, while Greece rejected 33% of applications, making it one of the more challenging major destinations for Indian travelers.
Other nations with notably high rejection rates included Malta at 31.7% and Estonia at 30.1%, further highlighting the uneven landscape of visa approvals across the Schengen area.
Greece: High Volume, Significant Rejections
Greece processed a substantial volume of applications, with its embassy in New Delhi handling over 41,000 requests from Indian travelers in 2025. Of these, 13,532 applications were not granted visas. The Netherlands and Austria also saw rejection rates above the overall average, at 20.6% and 21.6% respectively.
Where Indian Applicants Fared Better
Not all Schengen countries presented equal hurdles. Germany, which processed the highest number of Indian applications at over 153,000, reported a comparatively lower non-issuance rate of just 10.5%. Italy followed with a 12.7% rejection rate, and Switzerland, identified as the most popular Schengen destination among Indians in 2025, recorded a rate of 13.6%.
Among the major European destinations, Belgium and Denmark offered some of the smoothest passage for Indian applicants, with rejection rates of 7.7% and 6.9% respectively, placing them among the lowest across the region.