Indian travellers continued to show a strong appetite for European holidays in 2025, but newly released European Commission data reveals that not every Schengen destination was equally welcoming.
According
to the latest figures, more than 181,000 Schengen visa applications submitted by Indian nationals did not result in visas being issued last year. India remained the world’s third-largest source market for Schengen visas, with over 1.15 million applications filed. However, 181,111 applications were not issued visas, translating to an overall non-issuance rate of 15.8%.
In simple terms, nearly one in every six Schengen visa applications submitted by Indians failed to secure approval.
Slovenia Recorded The Highest Non-Issuance Rate
Among all Schengen destinations, Slovenia emerged as the toughest country for Indian applicants. The country recorded a non-issuance rate of 46.1%, meaning nearly half of all applications submitted by Indians did not result in a visa being granted.
Bulgaria followed with a non-issuance rate of 37%, while Greece reported a rate of 33%, making it one of the most difficult major destinations for Indian travellers seeking entry.
Other countries with relatively high non-issuance rates included Malta at 31.7% and Estonia at 30.1%.
Greece Stood Out Among Popular Destinations
While several countries recorded high rejection rates on relatively smaller application volumes, Greece combined strong demand with a high non-issuance rate.
The Greek Embassy in New Delhi processed more than 41,000 visa applications from Indian travellers in 2025. Of these, 13,532 applications did not result in visas being issued. The Netherlands and Austria also reported rates above the overall average, at 20.6% and 21.6%, respectively.
Countries Where Indians Had Better Chances
Several major Schengen destinations recorded comparatively lower non-issuance rates.
Germany, which processed more than 153,000 applications from India, reported a rate of 10.5%. Italy stood at 12.7%, while Switzerland (the most sought-after Schengen destination among Indians in 2025) recorded a rate of 13.6%.
Belgium and Denmark reported some of the lowest non-issuance rates among major European destinations, at 7.7% and 6.9%, respectively.
Which Countries Recorded The Highest Number Of Non-Issued Applications?
In absolute numbers, Switzerland recorded the highest volume of non-issued applications from Indian travellers, at approximately 30,700.
France followed with around 29,500 non-issued applications, while the Netherlands recorded roughly 20,100. Germany reported around 16,000, and Greece approximately 13,500.
