Planning Europe trip before year-end? These nations have the highest Schengen visa success rates

 

 

If you’re hoping to make that Europe trip before this year comes to a close, the first question you’ll likely ask is: Which Schengen country is most likely to approve my visa?

With the 2025 numbers still pending, last year’s data from 2024 provides the strongest clues about where applicants had the best chance of success.

The countries that issued the most approvals

Here’s how the top ten looked based on official approval percentages:

• Iceland – 91.25%

• Slovakia – 89.25%

• Italy – 88.72%

• Romania – 88.36%

• Switzerland – 88.12%

• Hungary – 87.23%

• Norway – 87.20%

• Greece – 85.86%

• Austria – 85.78%

• Luxembourg – 85.65%

In contrast, the 2023 leaderboard featured Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, showing clear shifts year to year.

High approval doesn’t give you the freedom to apply anywhere

A strong approval rate doesn’t mean you can file your application with whichever embassy you prefer. Submitting your paperwork to a country you’re not actually visiting, known as visa shopping, goes against Schengen rules and can cause your application to be returned or refused.

The correct filing rules are straightforward:

• Only one destination on your trip? Apply to that country’s mission.

• Multiple stops? Apply where you intend to spend the longest portion of your trip.

• Evenly split visits? Apply to the country you will enter first.

Embassies, consulates and officially authorised visa centres are the only legal places to file. Routing your application elsewhere risks raising flags during future visa attempts.

Countries that slipped in 2024

A few traditionally reliable missions fell down the rankings. Germany, Latvia, Poland and Lithuania, strong performers the year prior, did not make the top tier in 2024. Consulates have not offered public explanations, but rising demand and shifting staffing patterns may have contributed.

Approval rate alone won’t guarantee a visa

Even countries with approval rates above 90 percent reject applications for incomplete files, vague itineraries, weak funding proof or inconsistencies in documentation. Strong country numbers help, but personal documentation remains the deciding factor.

Advice for applicants rushing before December ends

Travellers hoping to secure a visa in the final weeks of the year should keep the following in mind:

• Book appointments as early as possible—slots fill quickly before the holidays.

• File your application with the correct consulate—never choose based on approval rates alone.

• Ensure every document is accurate and complete—this is the most common cause of refusal.

• Avoid peak filing windows in late November and December when possible.

• Attach a clear, concise cover letter explaining your travel plans and ties to home.

All statistics are drawn from 2024 Schengen visa data compiled by SchengenVisaInfo, which aggregates embassy-level numbers across all Schengen states.