Originally Published on: Henley Global
The number of applications for Europe’s Schengen Area visas has been declining over the years as rejection rates have surged. While restrictive for all applications, the European visa regime is notably more stringent towards African visa applicants than those from other regions. Addressing these issues would signal Europe’s commitment to actively engage in business and strengthen trade relations between Africa and Europe.
African visa applicants face more severe restrictions compared to applicants from other regions, resulting in a disproportionately high rejection rate. In 2022, Africa topped the list of rejections with 30% or one in three of all processed applications being turned down, even though it had the lowest number of visa applications per capita. This was 12.5% higher than the global average. The rejection rates for African applicants for Schengen visas are generally 10% higher than the global average, three times higher than the highest rejection rate, and ten times higher than for US-Americans.