Schengen Visa Rejection Rates Double Since 2019 – Breaking News Update
Germany’s Rejection Rates Show Serious Increase Compared to 2019
Germany has seen a significant increase in the rejection rates of Schengen visa applications from Turkish nationals, with an over 21 percent rejection rate in 2022. According to information shared by the German Embassy in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir, over 223,000 Turkish citizens applied for Schengen visas in 2022, but over 48,000 of those applications were rejected.
This represents an almost doubling of the rejection rate compared to 2019 when over 253,000 applications were made, but with only 30,823 rejections, resulting in a rejection rate of 12.1 percent.
The German Embassy in Ankara recently stated that approximately 100,000 Schengen visas were issued for Turkish citizens from January to May 2023, marking a more than 50 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year when 60,000 Schengen visas were issued. However, no information about the number of applications was shared, making it impossible for the public to assess the rejection and acceptance rates of visa applications made to the diplomatic representations of Germany in Turkey in 2023.
The reasons behind the increasing rejection rates are unclear, but such rates can negatively impact the travel and business plans of Turkish citizens hoping to visit Germany. It remains to be seen whether Germany will take steps to address the rising rejection rates and provide more information on the visa application process.
