Top 10 Countries With the Most Schengen Visa Applications in 2024

In 2024, Schengen states received over 11.7 million visa applications, marking a 13.4% increase compared to the 10.3 million applications submitted in 2023. Ten countries accounted for 62.4% of these applications, with over 7.3 million submissions, up from 58.7% in 2023.

Visa Applications by Country in 2024

1. China

• Applications: 1.7 million
• Year-on-Year Growth: +59.2%
• Top Destination: France (458,018 applications)
• Note: Chinese interest in Schengen visas surged significantly, especially to France (24.2% of total).

2. India

• Applications: 1.18 million
• Year-on-Year Growth: +14.6%
• Top Destination: Switzerland (217,373 applications)
• Note: Indian demand for Schengen visas remains strong, with a focus on Western European destinations.

3. Türkiye (Turkey)

• Applications: 1.1 million
• Year-on-Year Growth: +11.1%
• Top Destination: Greece (296,377 applications)
• Note: Greek consulates saw one in four Turkish applications.

4. Russia

• Applications: 606,594
• Year-on-Year Growth: +2.5%
• Top Destination: Italy (161,401 applications)
• Note: Despite sanctions, Russian applications rose slightly.

5. Morocco

• Applications: 606,800
• Year-on-Year Growth: +2.6%
• Top Destination: France (282,153 applications)
• Note: Moroccan interest in French visas declined slightly (-8.9% for France).

6. Algeria

• Applications: 544,634
• Year-on-Year Growth: +14.8%
• Top Destination: France (352,295 applications)
• Note: A quarter of Algerian applications were for France.

7. Saudi Arabia

• Applications: 505,455
• Year-on-Year Growth: +17.8%
• Top Destination: France (190,949 applications)
• Note: France accounted for nearly 38% of total Saudi applications.

8. United Kingdom (UK Residents)

• Applications: 470,569
• Year-on-Year Growth: +5.7%
• Top Destination: France (132,469 applications)
• Note: UK residents continue to rely on Schengen visas post-Brexit.

9. Thailand

• Applications: 265,243
• Year-on-Year Growth: -1.9%
• Top Destination: Germany (39,497 applications)
• Note: Applications declined slightly; Germany replaced Switzerland as the top choice.

10. United Arab Emirates (UAE Residents)

• Applications: 260,229
• Year-on-Year Growth: +11.2%
• Top Destination: Germany (approx. 12.6% of all applications)
• Note: Strong upward trend in demand, especially for German visas.