Europe Visa Success: Discover Which Countries Top The List (2024)

“Is studying abroad worth the while?” This particular question has crossed the minds of all the study abroad aspirants at least once. But if you observe carefully and listen closely, you will hear your peers echo in unity: “Absolutely, yes!” Overseas education has that certain ring to it that always tempts students towards it. Besides an exciting learning atmosphere, studying abroad offers an immersive & transformative student life. However, plenty of students are hesitant to take the big leap, mostly because of the fear of visa rejection.

Student visa approval forms an integral part of a student’s study abroad journey. After all, being able to travel to a new country and experience new culture is actually what makes overseas education so special. And without a student visa, none of it is possible. In that case, a country’s visa success rate becomes the primary factor that you must consider while selecting your study abroad destination. Just keep in mind that the concern for visa rejection must not deter you from realizing your study abroad dreams; you just need to make the right choice in terms of study abroad destination.

Of all the other destinations across the world, Europe enjoys a fairly high aggregate visa success rate. This is a major reason why European countries are becoming increasingly popular among study abroad aspirants. While Europe as a whole maintains a great visa success rate, its member countries represent varying numbers.

As India’s leading Europe admission partner, Edugo Abroad has achieved exceptional visa success numbers for the students. Drawing from our long experience of 12 years, we have gathered substantial data that reflects our visa success rate for major European countries.


Country Visa Success Rate
Denmark 99%
Ireland 97%
Finland 97%
UK 96%
France 95%
Malta 83%
Greece 80%
Germany 80%
Latvia 76%
Poland 65%

While European countries offer a sense of security, ultimately a student’s visa success rate depends on a combination of factors which are as follows. These serve as essential tips for students to help them avoid visa rejection for their desired destination.

  • Choice of University

  • The university that a student decides to enroll in plays a key role in the visa approval rate. That’s because the admission application status has a direct influence on a student’s visa application. If you fail to clear the university’s eligibility list, you won’t receive the offer letter. And without admission, you won’t have an authentic purpose to travel to that country. Resultantly, your chances of facing visa rejection get higher without the confirmation of admission.

    In that regard, every student must accurately measure their academic capabilities against university requirements, and choose an option that suits them best. Overestimating or underestimating your potential can actually cost you a golden chance of studying abroad. A better solution would be to seek professional help from a reliable overseas consultancy for university selection.

  • Interview Performance

  • Consider this as an extension of the above point. The university interview is an important step in your admission application. It is your opportunity to justify why you’re a good candidate for the university.

    During the interview, a student is expected to explain their genuine motivation behind their choice of course and the university. They must be able to justify how their educational background aligns with their current choices and what they expect to gain out of it. In simple words, you must convince the authorities that you are deserving of admission to the university to avoid visa rejection.

  • English Proficiency

  • The majority of the international universities teach their programmes in the English language. As such, a student’s proficiency in the English language is a crucial factor for the visa success rate. This particular requirement is to ensure that students can comprehend the curriculum and the lectures without any difficulty. Hence, study abroad aspirants must constantly work to improve their grasp of the English language to avoid potential visa rejection.


  • Relevance With Future Goals

  • This is another important point of discussion that dictates the university interview and the admission process. A student must be able to establish a clear link between their choice of course and their future professional goals to clear the interview and get a confirmation letter.

    Relevant educational background is not enough to get through the university interview. You have to showcase how that particular course and the university will contribute to your career goals. It is important to note that universities are interested in candidates who have a clear professional vision and blueprint laid out. In that regard, a student’s educational choices must directly connect with their future career goals to minimize the risk of visa rejection.

    Europe Visa Success: Discover Which Countries Top The List (2)


  • Financial Documents

  • The financial documents hold a strong weightage among factors that influence a student’s visa success rate. You must accurately demonstrate the financial backup that you have submitted in your file to get your student visa approved. Essentially, the financial records must reflect the student's living expenses for 1 full year which includes tuition fees, housing charges & other expenses.

    Let’s understand this with an example. Let’s say that your university fee is €15,000 and you have paid €5,000 as a deposit, the remaining amount becomes €10,000. Now let’s suppose that your university is in Paris. Then the annual living expenses would be calculated as follows: €1,000 (per month) X 12 = € 12,000. By adding this figure to the remaining fee, we get: €12,000 + €10,000 = €22,000. That’s the minimum amount you must present as the financial backup to get your Paris student visa approval.

    A student can reflect this amount in the following forms: (A) Bank Loan (sanction letter is acceptable) (B) Fixed Deposit or (C) Balance in Savings Account. The only other requirements are that all these must be in nationalized banks and can be easily liquidated.

    On A Concluding Note

    While choosing the right study abroad destination, a country’s visa success rate is the first aspect that a student must consider. As such, Europe has gained immense traction among students as the member countries boast an impressive visa success rate. If a student performs well in the above-mentioned factors and presents thorough documentation, then his/her chances of visa rejection practically fall to zero.

    Building on a long experience of 12 years, Edugo Abroad’s team of expert counsellors ensures an error-free and thorough visa application process for all the study abroad aspirants.

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      Europe Visa Success: Discover Which Countries Top The List (2024)

      FAQs

      Europe Visa Success: Discover Which Countries Top The List? ›

      Top Schengen countries where obtaining a Schengen visa is easier. According to the European Commission's (and general internet) statistics, Iceland, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania have traditionally been the best places to get a Schengen visa approved quickly (within the Schengen itself, that is).

      Which Schengen country has highest visa success rate? ›

      These 10 Countries Are Your Best Chance to Get a Schengen Visa for the Upcoming
      • Iceland with only a 2.2 per cent rejection rate.
      • Switzerland – 10.7 per cent.
      • Latvia – 11.7 per cent.
      • Italy – 12 per cent.
      • Luxembourg – 12.7 per cent.
      • Lithuania – 12.8 per cent.
      • Slovakia – 12.9 per cent.
      • Germany – 14.3 per cent.
      Jun 3, 2024

      Which European country is the easiest to get a Schengen visa? ›

      Top Schengen countries where obtaining a Schengen visa is easier. According to the European Commission's (and general internet) statistics, Iceland, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania have traditionally been the best places to get a Schengen visa approved quickly (within the Schengen itself, that is).

      Which is the hardest country to get a Schengen visa? ›

      Algeria leads the ranking of countries with the highest Schengen visa denials, both in terms of volume, with 179,409 applications rejected, and in terms of percentage, with an alarming 45.8% visa rejection rate.

      What 5 countries are not in Schengen? ›

      Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom are EU states that are not, or not yet, part of the Schengen area. This means that a flight from one of these states to a Schengen state is regarded as an external flight and is subject to border checks.

      Which country rejected the visa most? ›

      Schengen visa
      • High visa rejection rates pose a significant barrier for Africans looking to travel abroad, particularly to the Schengen region in Europe. ...
      • RANK COUNTRY VISA APPLICATIONS VISA REJECTIONS REJECTION RATES.
      • 1 Algeria 392,053 179,409 45.8%
      • 2 Guinea-Bissau 7,990 3,611 45.2%
      • 3 Nigeria 86,815 39,189 45.1%
      Apr 19, 2024

      Which Schengen country has the highest visa approval rate in 2024? ›

      Countries with High Approval Rates:

      Lithuania: With a straightforward application process, Lithuania typically has a high rate of visa approvals. Estonia: Estonia's modern approach and efficient processing contribute to its high visa approval rates.

      Which EU country gives fastest visa? ›

      From Which Countries Is It Easier to Obtain?
      • Lithuania. With an astounding 98.7% approval rate, becomes a prime choice for applicants.
      • Estonia. ...
      • Finland. ...
      • Iceland, Latvia, and Poland. ...
      • While the Schengen Visa allows a stay of 90-day stay within 180 days, Portugal offers a seamless visa renewal process.
      Feb 20, 2024

      Which country should I enter first with Schengen visa? ›

      The First Point of Entry for a Schengen visa refers to the first country you intend to enter upon arrival in the Schengen area. This is the country where you will first cross the external borders of the Schengen area and will be subject to border control by the authorities of that country.

      Which European country gives the longest Schengen visa? ›

      Apply for a visa for France, because you will be staying there the longest.

      Which country is best for Schengen visa? ›

      The easiest Schengen countries to apply for a Schengen visa from, are as follows.
      • Switzerland. Switzerland is the easiest country to get a Schengen Visa. ...
      • Austria. ...
      • Finland. ...
      • Denmark. ...
      • Sweden. ...
      • Norway. ...
      • Luxembourg. ...
      • Spain.
      Feb 8, 2024

      Which country visa is most powerful? ›

      The most powerful passports in 2024
      • France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain (194 destinations)
      • Finland, South Korea, Sweden (193 destinations)
      • Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands (192 destinations)
      • Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom (191 destinations)
      Jan 31, 2024

      Which country is toughest visa? ›

      10 visas that are toughest to get
      • Turkmenistan. ...
      • Iran. ...
      • Saudi Arabia. ...
      • North Korea. ...
      • Afghanistan. ...
      • Chad. ...
      • Syria. Visiting Syria typically necessitates sponsorship from a Syrian organization or citizen, making the process challenging. ...
      • Libya. Obtaining a visa for this country is not straightforward.
      Jan 31, 2024

      What are the new Schengen countries in 2024? ›

      Bulgaria and Romania became the newest Member States to join the Schengen area as of 31 March 2024. As a result, any person crossing the internal air and sea borders will no longer be subject to checks.

      Is Switzerland part of the Schengen visa? ›

      Switzerland has been a member of the Schengen Area since 12 December 2008. Applicable to all Schengen member states, the Schengen Association Agreement stipulates that short stays may not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.

      Why is it called Schengen? ›

      Why is it called the 'Schengen' Area? The name Schengen comes from the town in southeastern Luxembourg where France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands signed the original Schengen Agreement in 1985.

      Which country gives the longest Schengen visa? ›

      Example: Going to a conference in two countries

      If you want to go to a one-day conference in the Netherlands and a two-day conference in France, your purpose of travel is the same for both countries. Apply for a visa for France, because you will be staying there the longest.

      Which country is the most strict in granting visa? ›

      North Korea is by far the most difficult country to get a visa to visit as a tourist. To get a visa to North Korea, you have to apply for the visa through a tourist agency that has state-approved tours.

      Which is the richest Schengen country? ›

      1. Luxembourg. Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in Europe. With a population of around 650,000, it boasts a remarkable GDP per capita of over $115,000, making it the highest in the world as of 2022.

      What is the rejection rate for Schengen countries? ›

      The study called the practices discriminatory and urged Schengen countries to reform them. Nowhere are applicants more rejected than in Algeria, where more than 392,000 applicants were rejected in 2022. The 45.8% rejection rate is followed by a 45.2% rejection rate in Guinea-Bissau and 45.1% in Nigeria.

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