Dutch Schengen visas: India ranks second, securing 75,727 grants in 2024, even with over 14,000 refusals

In 2024, the Netherlands cemented its place as the sixth-busiest Schengen destination, processing 728,656 visa requests, just behind Greece and Italy, and well behind leader France. Turkish, Indian and Chinese nationals topped the applicant ranks, but only one group saw both massive approvals and significant refusals, according to Schengen Visa news.

The Netherlands received 728,656 Schengen visa applications in 2024, placing it sixth overall among Schengen states, Schengen.News reports. Indians filed 91,003 applications, making them the second-largest applicant group after Turkish nationals.

Top nationalities by visas granted

• Turkish nationals: 84,240 visas granted (86.8% of 97,006 applications)

• Indian nationals: 75,727 visas granted (83.2% of 91,003 applications)

• Chinese nationals: 70,203 visas granted (96.71% of 72,595 applications)

• Indonesian nationals: 51,103 visas granted (93.1% of 54,888 applications)

• Filipino nationals: 46,500 visas granted (95.77% of 48,556 applications)

Indian travellers secured 75,727 Dutch Schengen visas in 2024, reflecting an approval rate of 83.2 percent. This kept India narrowly behind Turkey, which obtained 84,240 visas, despite India submitting the second-highest volume of applications.

Overall Schengen demand

Schengen states collectively logged 11.7 million visa applications in 2024, underscoring Europe’s enduring appeal to global travellers.

Rejection patterns: India leads among refusals

While Indian applicants enjoyed solid approval rates, they also endured the highest absolute number of refusals: 14,569 applications turned down by Dutch authorities. Other top refusal counts included Morocco (12,398), Türkiye (11,792), Ghana (8,394) and Egypt (7,174).

When measured against total filings, certain African nations faced steeper hurdles:

• Senegal: 4,478 rejections (81.05% of 5,525 applications)

• Algeria: 2,781 rejections (63.4% of 4,388 applications)

• Mali: 2,600 rejections (60.8% of 4,275 applications)

• Ghana: 8,394 rejections (58% of 14,466 applications)

• Uganda: 1,662 rejections (49.97% of 3,326 applications)