Burundi and Senegal Lead Schengen Visa Refusal Rates in New 2025 Figures

Burundi recorded one of the highest Schengen visa refusal rates in the 2025 statistics published by the European Commission on 28 May 2026. Its rate stood at 53.4%, while Senegal reached 51.9%, compared with a global refusal rate of 14.6%, roughly one application in seven.

Key facts

• Global Schengen visa refusal rate in 2025: 14.6%
• Burundi: 53.4%; Senegal: 51.9%, up from 46.8% the previous year
• Nigeria 47.9%, Ghana 46.5%, Angola 45.4% among the highest 2025 rates
• French consulate in Abidjan: 33.5% refused, or 20,496 of 62,786 applications
• Refused applications cost applicants an estimated €329 million in 2025, about €185 per rejected file, because fees are not refunded

What do the refusal rates show?

The European Commission's 2025 figures place Burundi and Senegal at the top of the recorded refusal rates. Senegal's rate is nearly four times the world average, having risen from 46.8% the year before.

Several West African nationalities also appear among the highest rates for 2025: Nigeria at 47.9%, Ghana at 46.5% and Angola at 45.4%. African applicants are refused at roughly two to three times the global rate, meaning close to one in two applicants from Ghana is turned down.

Individual consulates show similar patterns. The French consulate in Abidjan refused 33.5% of the applications it received — 20,496 refusals out of 62,786. Belgium, as an issuing state, recorded a 24.6% refusal rate in 2024 on 255,564 applications, indicating that high rejection rates are not confined to one consulate.

Why are applications refused?

A refusal does not always mean the applicant was unqualified. HelloSafe lists the most common reasons as insufficient financial resources (21%), insurance that does not comply with the requirements (15%) and doubts about whether the applicant will return home (12%).

The financial impact is significant because visa fees are not refunded. HelloSafe estimates that refusals cost applicants about €329 million in 2025, roughly €185 per rejected file.

What can applicants do?

The article points to three steps that can reduce the risk of refusal: submitting complete documentation, holding insurance that meets the requirements, and applying early. European governments defend the controls as necessary for migration and security management.

What this means for travellers

Travellers from Burundi, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and Angola planning Schengen trips should expect a higher-than-average chance of refusal and prepare their applications accordingly. Because fees are not returned after a refusal, applicants bear the cost of each rejected file.

The article suggests African governments and bodies such as ECOWAS could press for clearer refusal reasons, more consistent decisions across consulates and better appeal channels. No decision, meeting date or timetable for such action has been announced.