The European Commission has published its latest statistics on Schengen Visa applications, showing a steady recovery in demand for travel to the EU and Schengen associated countries.
In 2024, EU and Schengen states consulates worldwide received more than 11.7 million applications for short-stay visas. This marks a 13.6% increase compared to 2023 (10.3 million) and a significant 56% rise from 2022 (7.5 million).
Despite the growth, the numbers remain below the 17 million applications recorded in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
An important development in 2024 was that Bulgaria and Romania began issuing Schengen visas, instead of national ones, as of 31 March 2024.
Of the total applications, more than 9.7 million visas were granted in 2024. This represents a 14.1% increase compared to 2023 (8.5 million), though still lower than the 15 million visas issued in 2019.
Notably, more than half of these visas were multiple-entry, allowing travelers to enter the Schengen area several times within the visa’s validity. In addition, 85,119 visas were issued directly at external borders.
Demand varied globally, with the highest number of applications coming from:
Globally, the refusal rate declined slightly to 14.8% in 2024, compared to 16% in 2023 and 17.9% in 2022.
However, the data show notable variations across countries:
These disparities highlight how visa issuance continues to vary significantly depending on the applicant’s country of origin.
She is a Legal Counsel and she holds a Ph.D in Law (University of Bologna). She is specialized in European Union Law and she is the Head of the Japanese Desk and Spanish Desk. She is mother tongue Japanese and Spanish and speaks fluently Italian and English.
Related posts:
