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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteIndian applicants had 165,266 short-stay Schengen visa applications refused in 2024. Condé Nast Traveller India, citing European Commission data, estimates the application fees associated with those refusals at €14 million (₹136.6 crore), putting India third globally by estimated total fees after Algeria and Turkey. The figure concerns visa fees—not the cost of abandoned trips or other losses.
What the ₹136 crore estimate counts
The estimate applies an average adult application fee of €85 (reported as ₹8,270) to the 165,266 refusals from India. The standard adult fee was €80 until 11 June 2024 and €90 thereafter. Condé Nast Traveller India reports the resulting total as about €14 million, or ₹136.6 crore; the headline rounds it to ₹136 crore. Condé Nast Traveller India’s report
This is an estimate of fees associated with refused applications, not a calculation of applicants’ full financial losses. It does not include flights, accommodation, missed plans or other downstream costs. Nor does the average establish exactly what each person paid: individual applicants may have been eligible for exemptions or subject to different charges.
India ranked third by total estimated fees, not rejection rate
The ranking compares estimated aggregate fees tied to refusals, alongside the number of refusals. It is not a ranking of countries by their percentage of applications rejected.
| Applicant nationality | Refusals in 2024 | Estimated fees associated with refusals |
|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 185,101 | €15.7 million |
| Turkey | 170,129 | €14.4 million |
| India | 165,266 | €14 million |
| Morocco | 115,774 | €9.8 million |
| China | 80,703 | €6.8 million |
Across Schengen states, the report says refusals exceeded 1.7 million in 2024 and the associated fees totalled €145 million. The figures are reported by Condé Nast Traveller India, citing European Commission data.
Applications and approvals from India
According to the same report, Indian nationals lodged 1,108,239 short-stay Schengen visa applications in 2024. Of these, 165,266 were refused, and 591,610 multiple-entry visas were approved. The report describes the refusal rate as close to 15%. That percentage is distinct from India’s third-place position in the global comparison, which is based on estimated total fees associated with refusals.
Rank #2
Which destinations had the most refusals of Indian applications?
France had the largest reported number of refusals among Indian applicants. The destinations below are ranked by estimated fees associated with refused applications; the counts are absolute numbers, not destination-specific refusal rates.
| Destination | Refused applications from India | Estimated fees associated with refusals | Approximate rupee equivalent reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 31,314 | €2.6 million | ₹25.8 crore |
| Switzerland | 26,126 | €2.2 million | ₹21.6 crore |
| Germany | 15,806 | €1.3 million | ₹13 crore |
| Spain | 15,150 | €1.28 million | ₹12.5 crore |
| The Netherlands | 14,569 | €1.23 million | ₹12 crore |
These figures show the volume and estimated total fees associated with refusals. They do not establish which destination had the highest rejection probability: a destination with more applications can also have more refusals without having the highest refusal rate. Condé Nast Traveller India reports the destination counts and fee estimates.
Are Schengen visa fees refundable after a refusal?
The German Missions in India’s guidance, dated 1 October 2026, says its visa fee is not refundable if an application is rejected. It lists fees of €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6–12 and no fee for children under six; local rupee equivalents are subject to change without notice. This is German-mission guidance, not a complete statement of every service-centre charge, exemption or application detail. German Missions in India: visa fees
The 2024 estimate uses a blended average because the standard adult fee changed during that year. The current fee listed by one mission should not be substituted for the historical average used to estimate 2024 fees.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret the figures
- They measure fees, not total travel losses. The ₹136.6 crore estimate is tied to refused applications and does not quantify cancelled bookings or other costs.
- They are reported estimates. Condé Nast Traveller India attributes the figures to European Commission data and applies an average fee; the result is not an official Commission statement that India lost exactly ₹136 crore.
- The destination comparison is about counts and estimated totals. It cannot be used to compare refusal rates among destinations.
The European Commission’s statistics page provides short-stay visa data by consulate, including a 2024 workbook. It notes that Ireland is outside these Schengen statistics because it has an independent visa policy, and that Cyprus consulate applications concern national visas shown on a separate workbook sheet. The detailed figures here are presented as reported by Condé Nast Traveller India, citing Commission data; they are not a fresh recalculation of the workbook. European Commission: short-stay visa statistics
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