Pakistan recently emerged with the highest Schengen visa rejections rate for Spain, according to SchengenVisaInfo’s latest data. In 2023, 52.84% of Pakistani visa applications to Spain were denied, marking the highest rejection rate among all nationalities. Spain is the second most popular Schengen destination, making this statistic a hurdle for Pakistani applicants seeking access.
Highest Schengen Visa Rejections Rate for Pakistanis in Spain
The high rate of rejection for Pakistani applicants highlights a challenging visa vetting process, it could be seen from the favt that out of the applications submitted by Pakistani nationals in 2023, nearly 9,766 were declined. Following Pakistan, Nigerians faced the second-highest rejection rate at 49.85%, with Gabonese and Ghanaians also experiencing similar challenges. The high rejection rates indicate a trend of scrutiny toward certain nationalities, particularly those from South Asia and Africa, in securing Spanish visas.
Disparities in Visa Approvals Across Nationalities
Spain’s popularity as a destination within the Schengen zone attracted 1.4 million visa applications, making up 13.6% of the total Schengen visa requests in 2023. However, despite an overall approval rate of 77.4%, certain nationalities saw significantly higher acceptance rates. Applicants from countries like Jamaica, Indonesia, and Thailand enjoyed over 95% approval rates, whereas others faced much stricter criteria. This contrast points to disparities in visa approvals, where applicants from specific regions experience more barriers, particularly in obtaining Spanish visas. These discrepancies are proving to be a bigger challenge for Pakistani nationals and others in understanding the European visa application process.
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