Schengen Visa Refusal Rates: Türkiye 2025 Data and Country Comparison

The European Commission published its Schengen visa statistics for 2025 on 28 May 2026. The figures for applications made from Türkiye set out a few things clearly for anyone planning a visa application.

Türkiye in 2025

• Total applications: 1,268,376 (up from 1,173,917 in 2024, an increase of about 8 per cent)

• Issued: 1,072,054

• Refused: 183,196

• Refusal rate: 14.59 per cent (14.54 per cent in 2024)

Roughly one in seven applications was refused. Although the number of applications rose noticeably, the refusal rate barely moved.

Türkiye remains the second largest source of Schengen visa applications worldwide, after China.

Which countries refuse most?

The overall rate is 14.59 per cent, but the spread between countries is wide. The highest refusal rates for applications from Türkiye were:

• Malta: 34.8 per cent

• Poland: 29.3 per cent

• Sweden: 26.5 per cent

• Norway: 24.7 per cent

• Finland: 21.2 per cent

• Germany: 21.1 per cent

• Denmark: 19.2 per cent

At the other end is Greece. Its missions in Türkiye received 310,920 applications and issued 276,959 visas, a refusal rate of 10.7 per cent, below the national average and the highest number of visas issued. Greece is followed by Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Smaller countries handle fewer applications, so their rates fluctuate more from year to year. Malta's 34.8 per cent reflects that effect as well.

Can you simply apply to the country with the lowest refusal rate?

No. This is one of the most common and most costly misunderstandings.

Under Schengen rules you must apply to the country where you will spend the longest time. If the stays are equal, you apply to the country of first entry.

Applying elsewhere because its refusal rate looks better is known as visa shopping and is treated as a breach of the rules. If detected, your application can be refused, and the issue resurfaces in later applications. Some countries ask applicants who used a previous visa outside the issuing country to submit a letter explaining why.

The correct conclusion from the table is different: if your destination is already fixed and that country refuses often, prepare your file more carefully.

Multiple-entry visas are increasing

This is the encouraging part of the data. The number of multiple-entry visas issued to Turkish citizens rose from 645,583 in 2024 to 736,556 in 2025. Around 69 per cent of all visas issued were multiple-entry.

The cascade system, introduced by a European Commission decision of 15 July 2025, contributes to this. Applicants who have used previous visas correctly can progress through longer validity periods: six months, then one year, three years and five years.

It is not an automatic entitlement, however. Each application is assessed individually and the decision rests with the consulate. One detail is easily missed: the validity you request cannot exceed the remaining validity of your passport. With four years left on your passport, a five-year visa will not be issued.

What this means for you

Refusal is not exceptional. One in seven applicants is refused. Being refused does not mean you are a poor applicant; it usually means something in the file was missing or inconsistent.

The choice of country is not yours. Your itinerary determines where you apply. What you can control is preparing a file that meets that country's expectations.

Visa history accumulates. Every visa used correctly improves your chances of a longer one next time. Avoiding overstays and treating the issuing country as your main destination are the two habits that pay off most over time.

Source

All figures in this article are taken from the European Commission's short-stay Schengen visa statistics for 2025, published on 28 May 2026. Refusal rates change over time; check current figures before applying.