UAE Residents Lost Dh16.8 Million in Rejected Schengen Visa Applications in 2023: Report

Schengen visa rejection rate for UAE residents was 6 per cent in 2023 and overall 16. 8 million Dirhams (4. 19 million Euros) were wasted in rejected Schengen visa applications. Schengen Visa Info reported on November 30 that the UAE applicants’ rejection rate was 22. 44%, 25% higher than the figure recorded the previous year.

The fee for the Schengen visa application was around 320 AED up to June 11, 2024, and other service charges were also escalating depending on the state. Currently, on the 11th of June, 2024, the European Commission increase the fees for Schengen visas of the type C by 12%.

The citizens of UAE applied for a total of 233,932 Schengen visa applications in the year 2023 which is about 24. 97% higher than that of the previous year. This translated to 2. 27 percent of the global visa applications and ranked the UAE as the 10th most poppy Schengen visa country. The total spend on these applications was Dh74. 9 million (€18. 7 million).

It is a Schengen visa that permits movement in 27 European countries. Out of the 54,000 expatriate applications, Germany received the most with 26024 applications followed by Canada with 5452 applications. However it had the highest rejection rate of the 5 banks on the list, putting down 6, 283 on the applications. The minimum number of applications was recorded for Lithuania with only 327 applications being made from the UAE.

In 2023, the Population of United Arab Emirates were using 177,213 Schengen visas. Therefore Spain granted the most visa to residents of UAE; where the approval was at 20,843 with approval percentage of 80. 09%. The country that gave the highest approval rate to UAE applicant was Poland with an approval rate of 90. 61 percent and total visa granted equal to 20,843.