A recent report reveals that UAE residents who sought to travel to Europe in 2023 spent a staggering Dh16.8 million (€4.19 million) on Schengen visa applications that were ultimately rejected. The rejection rate for visa applications from the Emirates in 2023 was 22.44 percent, marking a 25 percent increase from the previous year, according to Schengen Visa Info, which has assisted over 280 million individuals since 2013.
The cost of a Schengen visa application was approximately Dh320 (€80) until June 11, 2024, inclusive of varying service fees based on region. However, starting June 11 this year, the European Commission implemented a 12 percent increase in the cost of Schengen visas (type C) globally. The report indicates that UAE residents submitted a total of 233,932 Schengen visa applications in 2023, a 24.97 percent rise from 2022, representing 2.27 percent of all global visa requests and ranking the UAE 10th in terms of most applications filed.
These applicants collectively spent Dh74.9 million (€18.7 million) on Schengen visa applications. The Schengen visa facilitates smooth travel across 27 European countries, with Germany being the top choice for UAE expats, receiving 26,024 visa applications in 2023. Interestingly, Germany also had the highest number of rejections from the UAE, with 6,283 out of 26,024 visas denied. Lithuania received the lowest number of visa applications from the UAE, totaling 327.
In 2023, a total of 177,213 Schengen visas were granted to UAE residents, with Spain issuing the most at 20,843, achieving an approval rate of 80.09 percent. Poland proved to be the easiest Schengen country for UAE residents to obtain a visa from, with a 90.61 percent approval rate for the 20,843 applications submitted.
