With a 97.8% approval rate, Iceland approved most of the visa applications it received in 2023. Over 21,000 out of 22,500 visa requests were approved, with only 474 rejections. This indicates that visa applicants to Iceland are highly likely to have their requests approved.
On average, Schengen states approved 84% of all applications, issuing 8.4 million visas out of 10.3 million requests, according to SchengenNews.
Malta, which received 33,000 applications, had the lowest approval rate. Only around 63% of requests, accounting for over 20,000 visas, were approved by Maltese authorities in 2023.
Easiest Countries to Obtain a Schengen Visa
According to data from the European Commission, Iceland, Switzerland, and Latvia had the highest approval rates. After Iceland (97.8%), Switzerland and Latvia had the highest approval rates, granting a positive decision for 89.3% and 88.3% of requests, respectively. Out of the 603,000 visa applications received by Swiss authorities in 2023, over 506,000 were granted.
- Latvia approved 88.3% of the 19,000 requests it received, making it the third country with the highest approval rate, followed by Italy (88%) and Luxembourg (87.3%).
- Lithuania and Slovakia also had high approval rates, granting 87.2% and 87.1% of applications received, respectively.
Applicants to German, Austrian, and Greek visa application centers had a good chance of having their requests approved, as these countries had approval rates higher than the Schengen average of 84%: Germany and Austria at 85.7%, and Greece at 85.3%.
Countries Least Likely to Approve Your Schengen Visa
Malta approved around 20,000 out of 33,000 visa requests in 2023, resulting in a 62% approval rate, making it the toughest country for visa applicants. Based on data from the EU Commission, Estonia follows with an approval rate of 66.9%, and Belgium ranks third with 73.5% of visas granted.
In addition to these three countries, applicants for Schengen visas in Sweden, Denmark, and Croatia also had lower chances of approval, with these countries having approval rates below the EU average of 84%.
