Europe is on every traveler's bucket list. But the most daunting task in exploring this beautiful continent is perhaps getting the "Schengen Visa". My personal experience in getting the Schengen Visa in 2015 was quite smooth...but that's when I came to know that while the visa gives you access to the entire Schengen region, there are clear rules as to which country should process your visa. Here are the rules:
If you are going to visit only one Schengen country, you must file your application at the embassy/consulate/visa centre of that country
If you are going to visit more than two Schengen countries, file your application:
-At the embassy/consulate/visa centre of the country where you will spend most days if you will be spending an unequal amount of days in each
-At the embassy/consulate/visa centre of the country where you will step first, if you will be spending an equal amount of days in each
Therefore, while some countries are notorious for high visa rejection rates, while others have less stringent criteria, and you need to plan your itinerary accordingly if you'd like one of the more "lenient" countries to process your Schengen visa.
So here we've compiled a list of countries with the lowest Schengen Visa rejection rates to make your Europe dream come true:
1. Iceland
The Nordic country has a visa rejection rate of just 1.9%—the lowest across the entire Schengen region. It received 7,715 visa applications in 2022, and rejected only 146 of them.
Go for: The phenomenal beauty of glaciers and geysers, lava fields and waterfalls, and the Northern Lights. Iceland is also the world’s most peaceful country, as per the Global Peace Index of 2022.
Flights to Reykjavik(round trip): From Delhi: Rs83000 onwards; Mumbai: Rs 60000 onwards
2. Lithuania
The visa rejection rate of this tiny Baltic country was only 7.8%. Lithuania got 25,556 visa applications, and accepted most of them.
Go for: The capital city of Vilnius is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a treasure trove of Baroque architecture. It’s the only European capital city that allows hot air balloons to cruise over its skyline, and a hot air balloon ride over Vilnius is a must do activity. Forested national parks teeming with wildlife, a taste of Jewish history and culture and many Soviet Era historical sites make it a unique place to visit. The Curonian Spit, a 98 km sand dune peninsula dates back to prehistoric times and is another UNESCO world heritage site waiting to be explored.
Flights to Vilnius(round trip): From Delhi: Rs 66000 onwards; Mumbai: Rs71,100 onwards;
3. Latvia
Latvia is another Baltic country, and Lithuania's neighbor. Latvia’s rejection rate was at 9.5%, with the country granting 18,890 of 21,142 visas.
Go for: The Art Nouveau district in Riga; Gauja National Park, the largest in Latvia; ancient castles and beautiful museums, bird watching and bobsleigh riding. Visit Venta Falls in Kuldiga, which is the widest waterfall in Europe. Jurmala is a vibrant seaside resort town, just 20 minutes out of Riga.
Flights to Riga(round trip): From Delhi: Rs63,000 onwards; Mumbai: Rs68,000 onwards;
4. Slovakia
This landlocked Central European country shares borders with Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic. Slovakia received 12,211 applications in 2022 and rejected only 9.7% of them.
Go for: The spa town of Piestany, natural beauty around the Danube River, folk traditions, handicrafts and vintage architecture. Marvel at architectural treasures in Banska Stiavnica, a town which promises postcard like pictures, and is also a UNESCO world heritage site. Climb the ramparts of the Spis castles, the largest fortified castle in Central Europe, which dates back to the 12th Century.
Flights to Bratislava(round trip): From Delhi: Rs64000 onwards; Mumbai: Rs69000 onwards.
5. Finland
Finland’s rejection rate was also at 9.7%, which is the same as Slovakia (no. 4 on the list). However, the country received a lot more applications than Slovakia. Of the 1,64,427 applications, it rejected only 15,530.
Go for: Arctic Finland, where the sun doesn’t set for six months straight. Lapland, which is considered Santa's home, is a dreamy highlight complete with reindeers, snow sledges and huskies. Also look out for the Northern Lights, and mingle with people of the happiest country in the world.
Flights to Helsinki (round trip): From Delhi: Rs90000 onwards; Mumbai: Rs85000 onwards
6. Luxembourg
Luxembourg has a visa rejection rate of 10.5%. This tiny country received only 6,931 applications in 2022, but granted visas to 6,222 of them.
Go for: Hiking trails, stunning castles, medieval villages, WW-II battle sites and fine-dining at a number of Michelin-starred restaurants.
Flights to Luxembourg (round trip): From Delhi: Rs53200 onwards; Mumbai: Rs51800 onwards
7. Poland
In 2022, Poland entered the list of countries with the lowest visa rejection rates at 11.6%. The country received 83,114 Schengen visa applications and rejected 9,841 of them.
Go for: Craft beer; saunter through the hip bars of Warsaw and historical buildings of Kraków; and visit the Tatra mountains, which create a natural boundary between Slovakia and Poland. POland offers a contrasting experience from the Urban centres of Warsaw, Kraków and Gdańsk to the beautiful countryside where there are craggy mountains, wooded forests, and wondrous waterways to be explored.
Flights to Warsaw(round trip): From Delhi: Rs56400 onwards; Mumbai: Rs60000 onwards
8. Switzerland
Switzerland rejected 49,263 visas in 2022—but received over four lakh visa applications.
Go for: The galleries and nightlife of Zurich and the hikes and adventures that await you in Bern. In Basel, you’ll trace the roots of the international art event, Art Basel, in the city’s graffiti, museums and local artworks. Enjoy the beauty of the Swiss Alps, especially if you are a Bollywood fan.
Flights to Zurich(round trip): From Delhi: Rs61000 onwards; Mumbai: Rs 65500 onwards
9. Greece
Greece rejected 12.5% of the 1,59,129 visa applications it got.
Go for: The thousands of Greek islands and beaches, hundreds of which have now been made wheelchair-accessible. Visit the Acropolis in Athens, of course, but also the rock formations of Meteora. And don't even think of missing the picture-perfect landscape of Santorini!
Flights to Athens(round trip): From Delhi: Rs42500 onwards; Mumbai: Rs38,700 onwards
10. Italy
Italy received over seven lakh Schengen visa applications from around the world. With only 92,186 of them rejected, the country’s rejection rate was 12.7%. Italy also had some of the lowest rejection rates in India (11.5%).
Go for: The marvels, from the colosseum in Rome to the Sistine Chapel and Vatican City itself(a tiny separate nation!). The country has 55 UNESCO World heritage sites, lip-smacking food and stunning natural landscapes from lakes to peaks.
Flights to Rome(round trip): From Delhi: Rs 35400onwards; Mumbai: Rs 29000 onwards
Now, armed with this knowledge of visa rejections, you can plan your perfect itineray and make your Euro Trip dream come true. If you have your own Europe tales of share, write about your experiences on Tripoto.
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