These countries have issued the most number of Schengen visas ever

With 30 million visas granted since 2009, France has emerged as the frontrunner in Schengen visa issuance, surpassing all other countries that are a part of the bloc. This figure constitutes 23.9 percent of all visas granted by the top ten countries over the past 13 years, according to Schengen Statistics.

According to a report by SchengenVisaInfo, except for the inaugural year in 2009 when Germany momentarily led in visa issuance, France has consistently proven itself as the unrivaled leader in this historical trend. Even in the initial year, Germany only outpaced France by just 80,000 visas.

The Pre-Pandemic Visa Surge

2017 to 2019 witnessed an unprecedented surge in the issuance of Schengen visas. A staggering 35.1 million visas were issued during this three-year period, with France single-handedly contributing 9.7 million, equivalent to 27.8 percent of the total. This period marked the highest visa issuance since 2013 when European embassy authorities collectively granted 12.3 million visas.

However, the pandemic in 2020 plummeted visa issuance to an unprecedented low of 3.8 million. Despite this, France maintained its dominance, issuing a quarter of all visas in 2021 and 28.4 percent in 2020, outperforming other European countries.


Dynamic Changes in Visa Issuance
While France has consistently been on the top, other European countries have witnessed dynamic shifts. Poland, once a major player, experienced fluctuations, transitioning from being the fifth-largest issuer in 2015 to not featuring in the top ten list by 2021. Czechia entered the fray in 2021, emerging as the fifth-largest issuer with 200,053 visas granted.

Finland, after a dip in visa issuance, rebounded in 2022, securing the eighth position among the top ten countries granting visas. Switzerland, too, showcased a notable trend, elevating its status to the seventh-largest issuer by granting a total of 319,841 visas in 2022.

Indians have always been one of the top travellers to the Schengen area. In 2022, Indian nationals spent over Rs 487 crore on Schengen visa submissions, submitting a total of 6,71,928 applications. Within this, about Rs 87 crore was spent on unsuccessful visa applications - 1,21,188 visas in total.