Schengen visa statistics for India, 2016: who applied, who was refused, and by whom
In 2016, 792,271 uniform visa applications were lodged at Schengen consulates in India (7.9 lakh). 724,110 visas were issued and 64,651 were refused, a refusal rate of 8.2% against 6.5% in 2015. India was the #5 country of application worldwide, behind Grand Total and Russian Federation and China and Ukraine. Worldwide, 15,192,502 applications were decided that year with a refusal rate of 6.9%.
64,651 refusals out of 792,271 applications lodged in India, 2016
Lowest refusal rate for applicants in India in 2016: 3.0% on 8,321 applications.
Country page →Every state, 2016 (ranked by refusal rate, 1,000+ applications)
| # | Country | Applied | Issued | Refused | Refusal rate | Multi-entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland | 8,321 | 8,005 | 253 | 3.0% | 49.8% |
| 2 | Denmark | 14,810 | 14,168 | 459 | 3.1% | 91.8% |
| 3 | Luxembourg | 1,580 | 1,520 | 59 | 3.7% | 93.4% |
| 4 | Norway | 12,497 | 11,847 | 603 | 4.8% | 53.6% |
| 5 | Austria | 26,844 | 25,443 | 1,379 | 5.1% | 100.0% |
| 6 | Germany | 142,860 | 133,807 | 8,869 | 6.2% | 91.0% |
| 7 | Netherlands | 56,821 | 52,824 | 3,764 | 6.6% | 77.7% |
| 8 | Sweden | 17,918 | 16,321 | 1,198 | 6.7% | 49.9% |
| 9 | Slovenia | 2,022 | 1,884 | 136 | 6.7% | 40.0% |
| 10 | Switzerland | 103,300 | 96,236 | 6,989 | 6.8% | 44.8% |
| 11 | Czech Republic | 13,076 | 12,085 | 988 | 7.6% | 11.5% |
| 12 | Belgium | 20,661 | 18,563 | 1,690 | 8.2% | 67.2% |
| 13 | France | 156,148 | 141,751 | 13,083 | 8.4% | 12.6% |
| 14 | Greece | 26,197 | 23,946 | 2,251 | 8.6% | 96.5% |
| 15 | Hungary | 11,255 | 10,262 | 989 | 8.8% | 54.2% |
| 16 | Spain | 53,048 | 47,950 | 4,664 | 8.8% | 1.7% |
| 17 | Italy | 103,362 | 90,060 | 13,291 | 12.9% | 89.0% |
| 18 | Poland | 8,678 | 7,183 | 1,473 | 17.0% | 61.4% |
| 19 | Portugal | 7,248 | 5,952 | 1,286 | 17.7% | 52.3% |
| 20 | Malta | 1,781 | 1,374 | 327 | 18.4% | 54.9% |
| 21 | Lithuania | 1,177 | 899 | 270 | 22.9% | 49.1% |
| 22 | Latvia | 1,238 | 939 | 298 | 24.1% | 24.7% |
Consulate table, 2016 (ranked by refusal rate)
| # | Consulate | Applied | Refused | Refusal rate | Multi-entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France in Kolkata | 11,815 | 231 | 2.0% | 8.9% |
| 2 | Switzerland in Mumbai | 2,654 | 55 | 2.1% | 39.3% |
| 3 | France in Bengaluru | 31,585 | 849 | 2.7% | 6.3% |
| 4 | Netherlands in Bengaluru | 8,316 | 245 | 2.9% | 82.3% |
| 5 | Germany in Bengaluru | 29,548 | 880 | 3.0% | 71.4% |
| 6 | Finland in New Delhi | 8,321 | 253 | 3.0% | 49.8% |
| 7 | Denmark in New Delhi | 14,810 | 459 | 3.1% | 91.8% |
| 8 | Netherlands in Kolkata | 2,433 | 78 | 3.2% | 68.3% |
| 9 | Hungary in Mumbai | 6,154 | 225 | 3.7% | 82.9% |
| 10 | Luxembourg in New Delhi | 1,580 | 59 | 3.7% | 93.4% |
| 11 | Germany in Mumbai | 48,521 | 2,085 | 4.3% | 96.2% |
| 12 | Belgium in Mumbai | 14,956 | 651 | 4.4% | 73.7% |
| 13 | Italy in Mumbai | 56,741 | 2,515 | 4.4% | 96.2% |
| 14 | Spain in Mumbai | 32,642 | 1,459 | 4.5% | 1.2% |
| 15 | Germany in Kolkata | 6,642 | 318 | 4.8% | 98.3% |
| 16 | Norway in New Delhi | 12,497 | 603 | 4.8% | 53.6% |
| 17 | Austria in New Delhi | 26,844 | 1,379 | 5.1% | 100.0% |
| 18 | France in Mumbai | 47,437 | 2,665 | 5.6% | 14.6% |
| 19 | Netherlands in Chennai | 5,768 | 335 | 5.8% | 74.6% |
| 20 | Sweden in New Delhi | 17,918 | 1,198 | 6.7% | 49.9% |
| 21 | Slovenia in New Delhi | 2,022 | 136 | 6.7% | 40.0% |
| 22 | Switzerland in New Delhi | 100,646 | 6,934 | 6.9% | 45.0% |
| 23 | Netherlands in Mumbai | 22,702 | 1,570 | 6.9% | 78.0% |
| 24 | Czech Republic in New Delhi | 13,076 | 988 | 7.6% | 11.5% |
| 25 | Poland in Mumbai | 4,614 | 363 | 7.9% | 53.5% |
| 26 | Greece in New Delhi | 26,197 | 2,251 | 8.6% | 96.5% |
| 27 | Netherlands in New Delhi | 17,602 | 1,536 | 8.7% | 77.6% |
| 28 | Italy in Kolkata | 8,536 | 757 | 8.9% | 89.1% |
| 29 | Germany in New Delhi | 39,137 | 3,617 | 9.2% | 96.8% |
| 30 | Portugal in Goa | 2,651 | 270 | 10.2% | 10.5% |
| 31 | Germany in Chennai | 19,012 | 1,969 | 10.4% | 95.3% |
| 32 | France in Puducherry | 14,253 | 1,593 | 11.2% | 8.3% |
| 33 | Hungary in New Delhi | 5,101 | 764 | 15.0% | 14.9% |
| 34 | France in New Delhi | 51,058 | 7,745 | 15.2% | 17.2% |
| 35 | Spain in New Delhi | 20,406 | 3,205 | 15.7% | 2.6% |
| 36 | Belgium in New Delhi | 5,705 | 1,039 | 18.2% | 47.0% |
| 37 | Malta in New Delhi | 1,781 | 327 | 18.4% | 54.9% |
| 38 | Portugal in New Delhi | 4,597 | 1,016 | 22.1% | 80.1% |
| 39 | Lithuania in New Delhi | 1,177 | 270 | 22.9% | 49.1% |
| 40 | Latvia in New Delhi | 1,238 | 298 | 24.1% | 24.7% |
| 41 | Italy in New Delhi | 38,085 | 10,019 | 26.3% | 75.1% |
| 42 | Poland in New Delhi | 4,064 | 1,110 | 27.3% | 72.7% |
Who moved, 2015 to 2016
Percentage-point change in refusal rate for applications lodged in India, states with 1,000+ applications in both years. Negative = easier.
| Country | 2015 | 2016 | Change | Applied 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malta | 27.4% | 18.4% | -9.0 pp | 1,781 |
| Lithuania | 27.0% | 22.9% | -4.1 pp | 1,177 |
| Hungary | 11.1% | 8.8% | -2.3 pp | 11,255 |
| Czech Republic | 8.3% | 7.6% | -0.8 pp | 13,076 |
| Greece | 9.0% | 8.6% | -0.4 pp | 26,197 |
| Norway | 5.2% | 4.8% | -0.3 pp | 12,497 |
| Finland | 3.2% | 3.0% | -0.2 pp | 8,321 |
| Sweden | 6.6% | 6.7% | +0.1 pp | 17,918 |
| Germany | 5.9% | 6.2% | +0.3 pp | 142,860 |
| Luxembourg | 3.4% | 3.7% | +0.4 pp | 1,580 |
| Slovenia | 6.0% | 6.7% | +0.7 pp | 2,022 |
| Denmark | 1.9% | 3.1% | +1.2 pp | 14,810 |
| Austria | 3.8% | 5.1% | +1.4 pp | 26,844 |
| Spain | 7.4% | 8.8% | +1.4 pp | 53,048 |
| Netherlands | 4.6% | 6.6% | +2.0 pp | 56,821 |
| Belgium | 6.2% | 8.2% | +2.0 pp | 20,661 |
| France | 6.4% | 8.4% | +2.0 pp | 156,148 |
| Italy | 10.4% | 12.9% | +2.4 pp | 103,362 |
| Switzerland | 2.8% | 6.8% | +4.0 pp | 103,300 |
| Poland | 10.3% | 17.0% | +6.7 pp | 8,678 |
| Portugal | 9.2% | 17.7% | +8.5 pp | 7,248 |
What refusals cost in 2016
The visa fee is not refunded on refusal. At the standard adult fee in force (EUR 60 per application), the 64,651 refusals of 2016 represent up to EUR 3,879,060 in non-refundable visa fees alone. This is an upper-bound estimate: children aged 6 to 11 pay half, some categories are exempt, and it excludes outsourcer service charges, insurance, and any bookings lost. The Visa Code fee schedule is on our fee guide.
Questions this page answers
How many Schengen visas were refused for Indians in 2016?
64,651 uniform visa applications lodged in India were refused in 2016, out of 792,271 decided (8.2%).
Which Schengen country refused Indians the most in 2016?
By rate, among states with at least 1,000 applications: Latvia at 24.1%. By absolute number: Italy with 13,291 refusals.
Where did India rank among countries of application for Schengen visas in 2016?
India ranked 5, behind Grand Total, Russian Federation, China, Ukraine.
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.