Nigerians’ Rejected Schengen Visa Applications In 2023 Amounted To Over €3 Million

Statistics on Schengen visas for the year 2023 revealed that the European Union (EU) received €3,435,200 from rejected visa applications from Nigeria.

EUobserver reported that globally, EU governments accrued a total of €130 million from such rejections, with African and Asian nations footing 90% of the expenses.

The report underscores the disproportionate impact on African countries, with rejection rates for visa applications reaching 40-50% in nations like Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria.

The visa fee for Nigerians and citizens of other African nations applying for a Schengen Visa to travel to the European Union has been raised by £10, bringing it to £90 from £80.

This information was disclosed in the most recent data unveiled by Schengen visa statistics over the weekend.

The EU Commission announced that starting June 11, 2024, Nigerian and other African Nationals would be required to pay a £90 visa application fee.

In 2023, African nationals faced 704,000 rejections for their visa applications, translating to a total expenditure of €56.3 million solely on visa requests for the year.

Out of 1,825 applications, 636, or 34.80 percent, from Nigeria were rejected, as indicated by the report.

EU countries received €3.4 million from rejected Schengen visa applications submitted by Nigerian citizens, illustrating the financial impact of these rejections.

This means that €56.3m went up in smoke, considering that visa application fees are not refundable.

“African nationals spent €56.3m in visa application fees in 2023, representing 43 percent of all expenses; rejection rates in 2023 were especially high for African and Asian countries, which bear 90 percent of all expenses.

“Expenditures are to increase by 12.5 percent starting next week as the EU raises visa fees for adults from €80 to €90 on 11 June, following a recent decision by the EU Commission,” it stated.

Morocco topped the list for the highest number of Schengen Visa Applications in the year under review.