Business Desk 
Nov 10, 2024
In 2023, Greece became one of the most sought-after Schengen Area countries, attracting a large volume of visa applications. According to SchengenVisaInfo, over 6% of all Schengen visa requests this year were directed to Greece, totalling 627,008 applications.
This high demand highlights Greece’s popularity as a travel destination within Europe. Turkish citizens made up the largest group of applicants, submitting 254,377 applications (40.5% of the total for Greece).
They were followed by Russian and Chinese applicants, with 62,959 and 35,931 applications, respectively. The trend reflects Greece’s appeal to travellers from neighbouring countries and beyond.
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However, visa rejection rates varied significantly by nationality, with applicants from certain African and Asian countries experiencing the highest refusal rates from Greek authorities.
Top 5 countries with highest Greece visa rejection rates in 2023
- Pakistanis: Out of 560 applications, 65.54% were denied, marking them as the most affected group.
- Algerians: Had a rejection rate of 59.54% with 1,230 out of 2,066 applications turned down.
- Tunisians: Faced a rejection rate of 56.36%, with 1,564 applications denied.
- Senegalese: Filed a smaller number of applications, totalling 240, but encountered a 56.25% rejection rate.
- Iraqis: Submitted 3,568 applications, of which 49.22% were rejected by Greek authorities.
Greece's strict visa approval policies impacted several countries, particularly those in Africa and Asia. Pakistani, Algerian, and Tunisian applicants saw the highest denial rates, which may indicate tighter security and eligibility requirements for certain nationalities.
