No refund, no trip: Indians lost Rs 136 crore to Schengen visa rejections in 2024, third worst-affected nation

When Indian travellers dreamt of a European escape in 2024, over 1.65 lakh of them were met with an expensive disappointment. According to data from the European Commission, Indian applicants lost Rs 136 crore in non-refundable visa fees after their Schengen visa applications were denied.

India ranked third globally in losses from rejected Schengen visas, trailing only Algeria and Turkey. According to Conde Nast Traveller, of the 11.08 lakh Schengen visa applications filed from India, 1,65,266 were turned down, a rejection rate of nearly 15%. Each application cost an average of €85 (₹8,270), which was revised mid-year from €80 to €90. The total amount Indians spent on visa applications in 2024 came to nearly ₹916 crore.

France topped the list of Schengen countries that rejected the most Indian visa applications, 31,314 in total, leading to a loss of around ₹25.8 crore. Switzerland (₹21.6 crore), Germany (₹13 crore), Spain (₹12.5 crore), and the Netherlands (₹12 crore) followed.

In terms of rejection percentages, Slovenia had the highest rejection rate for Indian applicants at a staggering 50.8%, rejecting more than half of the 2,787 applications it received. Malta turned down 44.9% of 4,203 applications, while Greece denied 31.5% of 41,418 applications.

However, rejection rates tell only part of the story. High-volume countries like France and Switzerland, with lower percentages, rejected far more applicants in absolute numbers. France’s rejection rate of 25.2% meant over 31,000 refusals, more than 22 times that of Slovenia.

Visa strategists often advise Indian travellers to be cautious about where they apply. “Where you apply for your visa is often more important than where you want to go,” noted one travel expert, summarising how embassy-specific rejection trends can make or break European travel plans.

Overall, the European Union collected €145 million (₹1,410 crore) in visa fees from applicants whose requests were denied. Indian travellers contributed €14 million (₹136.6 crore) to that sum, with no refund, no trip, and a sharp lesson in navigating international bureaucracy.