With summer travel season up and running, many travellers are eager to explore the varied beauty and culture of Europe. However, securing a Schengen visa can sometimes feel daunting, with varying application requirements and processing times across different countries.
Luckily, to help you plan your trip with less hassle, statistics published by SchengenVisaInfo have revealed the list of countries that had the highest approval rates in 2024. As a result, these are the Schengen countries that offer the smoothest and quickest visa approval processes this summer, so you can spend less time worrying about paperwork and more time enjoying your holiday.
According to the statistics, Schengen states received over 11.7 million applications in 2024, with states granting 84.1% of all applications. In total, Schengen states generated an impressive €937.3 million (£803.6 million) from visa applications, with France receiving the largest amount at €245.8 million (£210.7 million). The highest number of applications came from China, with 1.78 million, followed by Turkey with 1.17 applications. The UK, meanwhile, came eighth, with 470,569 applications.
With an approval rate of 85.65%, Luxembourg scooped 10th place, having not made the list in 2023.
The small European country, that’s surrounded by Belgium, France and Germany, is mostly rural, with dense Ardennes forest and nature parks in the north, rocky gorges of the Mullerthal region in the east and the Moselle river valley in the southeast.
Its capital, Luxembourg City, is famed for its fortified medieval old town perched on sheer cliffs.
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The landlocked central European country of Austria took ninth place, with an approval rate of 85.78%.
Rooted in the Eastern Alps, Austria is a federation of nine states, of which the capital Vienna is the most populous. Occupying an area of over 32,300 square miles, the country which is bordered by eight countries, is home to around nine million people.
Vienna lies in the country’s east on the Danube River, and is known for its imperial palaces like Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer residence. Its artistic legacy has been shaped by its residents, including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud.
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With an approval rate of 85.86%, the iconic holiday destination of Greece came eighth.
Welcoming an incredible 40.7 million foreign visitors in 2024, the southeastern European country is made up of thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. This includes iconic holiday hotspots like Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu and Crete.
On the mainland, Athens is the nation’s capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki and Patras.
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Norway, the Scandinavian country boasting mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords, came seventh, having approved 87.20% of Schengen visa applications.
Oslo, the capital, is a city of green spaces and museums, displaying preserved ninth-century Viking ships which allow visitors to take a step back in time. Bergen, with colourful wooden houses, is the starting point for cruises to the dramatic Sognefjord. The country is also known for fishing, hiking and skiing, notably at Lillehammer’s Olympic resort.
(Image: Getty)