Switzerland Handles Most Indian Schengen Visa Requests; Over 15% Refused

Indian citizens had the best chance of getting a Schengen visa through Belgium and Denmark in 2025, according to visa statistics published by the European Commission. Switzerland handled the largest volume of applications from India, while overall refusals passed 180,000.

Key facts

• Indian citizens submitted more than 1.15 million Schengen visa applications in 2025
• More than 180,000 applications were refused, an overall rejection rate above 15%
• Belgium approved 91.3% of Indian applications (30,434 of 33,333)
• Switzerland processed the most applications: 195,369 visas granted out of 226,044
• India was the second-most rejected nationality worldwide in 2025 by total refusals

Which countries approved the most visas?

Belgium topped the ranking, granting 30,434 visas out of 33,333 applications from Indian citizens, an approval rate of 91.3%. Denmark followed with 15,451 visas issued from 17,038 applications, and Germany granted 136,674 visas out of 153,179 applications.

Sweden and Italy completed the top five, with approval rates of 87.8% and 87.3% respectively. The full top ten for Indian applicants in 2025 was:

• Belgium — 91.3%
• Denmark — 90.7%
• Germany — 89.2%
• Sweden — 87.8%
• Italy — 87.3%
• Switzerland — 86.4%
• Hungary — 86.3%
• Finland — 86.2%
• Norway — 85.3%
• France — 84.3%

Where were refusals highest?

Slovenia recorded the highest rejection rate for Indian applicants in 2025, turning down 46.9%. Bulgaria refused 39.4% and Lithuania 35.7%. Rejection rates above 25% were also reported by Croatia, Greece, Malta, Slovakia, Estonia, Iceland and Luxembourg.

The European Commission data notes that rejection rates do not always reflect the number of applicants affected, since many of the countries with the highest rates processed relatively few Indian applications. France, by contrast, refused more than 32,000 Indian applications but kept its rejection rate at 15.7% because of the volume it handled.

Who is most affected by refusals?

Indian nationals were among the nationalities most affected by Schengen visa refusals globally in 2025, alongside applicants from Algeria, Türkiye and Morocco. India moved from the third-most rejected nationality in 2024 to the second-most rejected last year in terms of total refusals.

What this means for travellers

Travellers must apply for a Schengen visa through the country that is their primary destination. The figures show approval trends across Europe rather than a change to the rules, and demand for travel to Europe from India continues to rise.

The European Commission published the statistics as part of its Schengen short-stay visa data. No changes to Schengen visa rules, fees or processing procedures are announced in the release.