Schengen visa statistics for India, 2018: who applied, who was refused, and by whom
In 2018, 1,081,359 uniform visa applications were lodged at Schengen consulates in India (10.8 lakh). 974,674 visas were issued and 100,980 were refused, a refusal rate of 9.3% against 8.5% in 2017. India was the #3 country of application worldwide, behind Grand Total and Russian Federation. Worldwide, 16,016,599 applications were decided that year with a refusal rate of 9.6%.
100,980 refusals out of 1,081,359 applications lodged in India, 2018
Lowest refusal rate for applicants in India in 2018: 4.1% on 23,275 applications.
Country page →Every state, 2018 (ranked by refusal rate, 1,000+ applications)
| # | Country | Applied | Issued | Refused | Refusal rate | Multi-entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 23,275 | 21,890 | 949 | 4.1% | 86.3% |
| 2 | Finland | 11,959 | 11,398 | 512 | 4.3% | 69.0% |
| 3 | Switzerland | 161,403 | 152,719 | 8,529 | 5.3% | 77.0% |
| 4 | Austria | 36,820 | 34,792 | 2,002 | 5.4% | 100.1% |
| 5 | Belgium | 26,279 | 24,412 | 1,439 | 5.5% | 81.6% |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 2,283 | 2,122 | 161 | 7.1% | 92.4% |
| 7 | Spain | 67,248 | 61,393 | 5,159 | 7.7% | 2.0% |
| 8 | Sweden | 24,707 | 22,091 | 1,943 | 7.9% | 40.8% |
| 9 | Germany | 167,001 | 152,928 | 13,839 | 8.3% | 85.7% |
| 10 | Netherlands | 80,244 | 72,637 | 7,184 | 9.0% | 91.1% |
| 11 | Hungary | 21,704 | 19,707 | 1,995 | 9.2% | 69.0% |
| 12 | France | 229,153 | 203,570 | 23,714 | 10.3% | 12.8% |
| 13 | Greece | 45,341 | 40,112 | 5,217 | 11.5% | 100.0% |
| 14 | Italy | 105,630 | 92,694 | 12,825 | 12.1% | 94.7% |
| 15 | Norway | 18,499 | 15,811 | 2,613 | 14.1% | 16.2% |
| 16 | Poland | 9,719 | 8,201 | 1,446 | 14.9% | 51.0% |
| 17 | Portugal | 11,133 | 9,312 | 1,799 | 16.2% | 24.7% |
| 18 | Slovenia | 2,630 | 2,117 | 498 | 18.9% | 97.1% |
| 19 | Malta | 3,539 | 2,630 | 809 | 22.9% | 32.8% |
| 20 | Czech Republic | 26,683 | 20,449 | 6,219 | 23.3% | 10.0% |
| 21 | Lithuania | 1,007 | 647 | 345 | 34.3% | 54.7% |
| 22 | Estonia | 2,425 | 1,524 | 898 | 37.0% | 64.6% |
| 23 | Latvia | 1,873 | 991 | 843 | 45.0% | 18.8% |
Consulate table, 2018 (ranked by refusal rate)
| # | Consulate | Applied | Refused | Refusal rate | Multi-entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium in Mumbai | 19,162 | 551 | 2.9% | 86.6% |
| 2 | France in Kolkata | 18,810 | 617 | 3.3% | 12.6% |
| 3 | Denmark in New Delhi | 23,275 | 949 | 4.1% | 86.3% |
| 4 | Finland in New Delhi | 11,959 | 512 | 4.3% | 69.0% |
| 5 | Spain in Mumbai | 40,958 | 2,070 | 5.1% | 1.1% |
| 6 | France in Bengaluru | 45,048 | 2,362 | 5.2% | 11.3% |
| 7 | Switzerland in New Delhi | 161,403 | 8,529 | 5.3% | 77.0% |
| 8 | Hungary in Mumbai | 11,909 | 646 | 5.4% | 98.3% |
| 9 | Austria in New Delhi | 36,820 | 2,002 | 5.4% | 100.1% |
| 10 | Netherlands in Mumbai | 23,981 | 1,304 | 5.4% | 94.1% |
| 11 | Germany in Kolkata | 7,497 | 432 | 5.8% | 100.0% |
| 12 | Germany in Mumbai | 57,900 | 3,813 | 6.6% | 79.0% |
| 13 | Italy in Mumbai | 57,663 | 3,989 | 6.9% | 95.8% |
| 14 | Germany in Bengaluru | 33,707 | 2,375 | 7.0% | 81.9% |
| 15 | Luxembourg in New Delhi | 2,283 | 161 | 7.1% | 92.4% |
| 16 | Netherlands in Bengaluru | 15,187 | 1,075 | 7.1% | 90.5% |
| 17 | Netherlands in Chennai | 8,180 | 593 | 7.2% | 90.2% |
| 18 | Germany in Chennai | 22,089 | 1,683 | 7.6% | 81.2% |
| 19 | Netherlands in Kolkata | 3,787 | 294 | 7.8% | 89.8% |
| 20 | France in Puducherry | 24,470 | 1,901 | 7.8% | 8.5% |
| 21 | Sweden in New Delhi | 24,707 | 1,943 | 7.9% | 40.8% |
| 22 | Poland in Mumbai | 5,105 | 476 | 9.3% | 64.8% |
| 23 | Portugal in Goa | 3,193 | 333 | 10.4% | 2.5% |
| 24 | Italy in Kolkata | 8,938 | 1,011 | 11.3% | 99.8% |
| 25 | Greece in New Delhi | 45,341 | 5,217 | 11.5% | 100.0% |
| 26 | France in Mumbai | 69,603 | 8,171 | 11.7% | 16.3% |
| 27 | Spain in New Delhi | 26,290 | 3,089 | 11.7% | 3.6% |
| 28 | Germany in New Delhi | 45,808 | 5,536 | 12.1% | 97.7% |
| 29 | Belgium in New Delhi | 7,117 | 888 | 12.5% | 66.6% |
| 30 | Netherlands in New Delhi | 29,109 | 3,918 | 13.5% | 89.0% |
| 31 | Hungary in New Delhi | 9,795 | 1,349 | 13.8% | 30.0% |
| 32 | Norway in New Delhi | 18,499 | 2,613 | 14.1% | 16.2% |
| 33 | France in New Delhi | 71,222 | 10,663 | 15.0% | 12.1% |
| 34 | Portugal in New Delhi | 7,940 | 1,466 | 18.5% | 34.5% |
| 35 | Slovenia in New Delhi | 2,630 | 498 | 18.9% | 97.1% |
| 36 | Italy in New Delhi | 39,029 | 7,825 | 20.0% | 91.5% |
| 37 | Poland in New Delhi | 4,614 | 970 | 21.0% | 33.4% |
| 38 | Malta in New Delhi | 3,539 | 809 | 22.9% | 32.8% |
| 39 | Czech Republic in New Delhi | 26,683 | 6,219 | 23.3% | 10.0% |
| 40 | Lithuania in New Delhi | 1,007 | 345 | 34.3% | 54.7% |
| 41 | Estonia in New Delhi | 2,425 | 898 | 37.0% | 64.6% |
| 42 | Latvia in New Delhi | 1,873 | 843 | 45.0% | 18.8% |
Who moved, 2017 to 2018
Percentage-point change in refusal rate for applications lodged in India, states with 1,000+ applications in both years. Negative = easier.
| Country | 2017 | 2018 | Change | Applied 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 20.1% | 14.9% | -5.3 pp | 9,719 |
| Luxembourg | 11.3% | 7.1% | -4.2 pp | 2,283 |
| Belgium | 7.5% | 5.5% | -2.0 pp | 26,279 |
| Greece | 13.2% | 11.5% | -1.7 pp | 45,341 |
| Spain | 9.2% | 7.7% | -1.5 pp | 67,248 |
| Austria | 6.9% | 5.4% | -1.4 pp | 36,820 |
| Hungary | 9.4% | 9.2% | -0.2 pp | 21,704 |
| Switzerland | 5.2% | 5.3% | +0.1 pp | 161,403 |
| Finland | 3.9% | 4.3% | +0.4 pp | 11,959 |
| France | 9.9% | 10.3% | +0.4 pp | 229,153 |
| Sweden | 7.1% | 7.9% | +0.8 pp | 24,707 |
| Denmark | 3.1% | 4.1% | +0.9 pp | 23,275 |
| Italy | 11.1% | 12.1% | +1.1 pp | 105,630 |
| Germany | 6.8% | 8.3% | +1.5 pp | 167,001 |
| Netherlands | 7.2% | 9.0% | +1.7 pp | 80,244 |
| Portugal | 12.3% | 16.2% | +3.8 pp | 11,133 |
| Estonia | 31.8% | 37.0% | +5.2 pp | 2,425 |
| Malta | 16.9% | 22.9% | +6.0 pp | 3,539 |
| Lithuania | 27.1% | 34.3% | +7.1 pp | 1,007 |
| Norway | 6.8% | 14.1% | +7.3 pp | 18,499 |
| Slovenia | 9.1% | 18.9% | +9.8 pp | 2,630 |
| Czech Republic | 13.4% | 23.3% | +10.0 pp | 26,683 |
| Latvia | 27.0% | 45.0% | +18.0 pp | 1,873 |
What refusals cost in 2018
The visa fee is not refunded on refusal. At the standard adult fee in force (EUR 60 per application), the 100,980 refusals of 2018 represent up to EUR 6,058,800 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 2018?
100,980 uniform visa applications lodged in India were refused in 2018, out of 1,081,359 decided (9.3%).
Which Schengen country refused Indians the most in 2018?
By rate, among states with at least 1,000 applications: Latvia at 45.0%. By absolute number: France with 23,714 refusals.
Where did India rank among countries of application for Schengen visas in 2018?
India ranked 3, behind Grand Total, Russian Federation.
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.