Business Desk 
Jun 05, 2025
It has become increasingly challenging to get a Schengen visa for many Pakistanis. In 2024, Pakistan was listed among the countries with the most rejections for Schengen visas according to the European Commission's latest statistics.
The refusal rate for Pakistan on Schengen visa applications was 47.5%. This was the second-highest number in the world; Bangladesh had the highest rejections, having a refusal rate of 54.9%.
These figures represent just how difficult it is for people from the developing world to acquire visas for Europe. Experts claim that incomplete documentation or prior travel history and increased scrutiny by European countries are the main reasons for the high rejection rates.
Top 10 countries with highest Schengen visa rejection rates
Here are the top 10 countries with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates in 2024:
- Bangladesh: 54.9%
- Pakistan: 47.5%
- Guinea-Bissau: 47%
- Senegal: 46.8%
- Haiti: 46.3%
- Nigeria: 45.9%
- Ghana: 45.2%
- Sri Lanka: 44.7%
- Ethiopia: 43.8%
- Congo (DRC): 43.5%
A total of 11.7 million Schengen visa applications were submitted worldwide this year, with an overall refusal rate of 14.8%, which is slightly less than previous years.
The countries with the largest number of requests were France, Spain and Germany; however, they also rejected the most applications. France alone issued over 481,000 rejected visas, Spain issued 244,000 rejections, and Germany issued over 206,000 rejections.
Travel experts are strongly recommending applicants of Pakistani citizenship make sure to carefully follow the application process, provide all documentation, and check the individual requirements for the country before making an application.
