Netherlands consulate, Chennai: refusal rate for Schengen visa applicants
In 2018 this consulate decided 8,180 uniform visa applications lodged in Chennai, issued 7,548 and refused 593. That is a refusal rate of 7.2% against an all-India average of 9.3% the same year. The year before it refused 8.2%.
593 refusals out of 8,180 applications, 2018
How to apply at the Netherlands consulate in Chennai
Facts below were read on the mission's or its outsourcer's official page on 2026-08-17; each carries its source. Anything we could not verify is not shown.
Where to lodge the file
VFS Global with centres in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi. Article 43 of the Visa Code: the provider collects the file and biometrics; the consulate decides.
Official application portal →The mission's own visa page
NetherlandsWorldwide (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), 'Applying for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands in India'; the mission site netherlandsandyou.nl routes all visa matters to this site
Open the official page →If you are refused
Lodge an objection ('bezwaar') with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), not with the embassy: in writing to IND Visadienst, Postbus 2, 9560 AA Ter Apel, or by secure e-mail; a sponsor (family/friend being visited) may object online on the applicant's behalf. Alternatively submit a new application. Visa fee and VFS service charges are not refunded. Deadline: Four weeks from the date on the refusal decision (IND: 4-week period starts 1 day after the decision has been announced).
Source (official) →Where decisions are taken
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that visa applications are assessed and decided centrally by its Consular Service Organisation (CSO) back office; the India application page names only the Embassy in New Delhi as the responsible mission, and the EC statistics report the Netherlands' India applications under New Delhi. The Consulate General in Mumbai publishes no visa role.
Source (official) →6 years at this consulate
| Year | Applied | Issued | Multi-entry | Refused | Refusal rate | India avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 8,180 | 7,548 | 6,807 (90%) | 593 | 7.2% | 9.3% |
| 2017 | 6,763 | 6,188 | 5,501 (89%) | 553 | 8.2% | 8.5% |
| 2016 | 5,768 | 5,410 | 4,034 (75%) | 335 | 5.8% | 8.2% |
| 2015 | 2,725 | 2,519 | 1,991 (79%) | 192 | 7.0% | 6.5% |
| 2014 | 2,217 | 2,021 | 1,689 (84%) | 187 | 8.4% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 699 | 572 | 486 (85%) | 125 | 17.9% | 6.2% |
Multi-entry share is the share of issued visas that were multiple-entry. Airport transit visas (rare in India) are excluded from these figures. Rates are computed from the counts.
What the record says
Applications at this consulate went from 699 in 2013 to 8,180 in 2018 (1,070% over the period). The refusal rate moved from 17.9% to 7.2%. Netherlands also decides files lodged in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai (only 2 applications in 2025), New Delhi (20.6% refused in 2025); which one handles you depends on your state of residence, not your choice.
Read this before you compare consulatesUnder Article 5 of the Visa Code you apply to the state that is your main destination (or first entry when no main destination exists), at the consulate responsible for where you legally reside. You do not get to pick the consulate with the best number on this page. Use the which-consulate tool to work out which one that is, then come back here to see its record.
Questions this page answers
What is the Schengen visa refusal rate at the Netherlands consulate in Chennai?
In 2018 it refused 593 of 8,180 uniform (short-stay) visa applications, a rate of 7.2%. The all-India average that year was 9.3%.
How many Indians applied for a Netherlands visa in Chennai in 2018?
8,180 applications were lodged at this consulate in 2018, of which 7,548 visas were issued.
Does the Netherlands consulate in Chennai issue multiple-entry Schengen visas?
In 2018, 6,807 of the 7,548 visas it issued were multiple-entry, a share of 90.2%.
Source: European Commission, "Visa statistics for consulates", 2009 to 2025 annual releases; figures cover uniform (short-stay, type C) visas applied for at consulates located in India, regardless of applicant nationality; airport-transit visas excluded from headline figures. Refusal rate = visas not issued / visas applied for, computed by us from the counts. Rankings use a floor of 1,000 applications. Last verified 2026-08-18. Full methodology. Download the CSV.