Turkish citizens face substantial financial burdens due to high Schengen visa rejection rates. According to Schengen News, in 2023, only 867,545 applications from Türkiye were accepted.
Last year, Turkish citizens invested around 68 million euros on approved visas. However, nearly 170,000 applications were denied, costing approximately 13 million euros in lost fees. Türkiye submitted over one million visa applications in 2023, raising the total expenditure to 84 million euros.
Between 2014 and 2023, Turkish residents spent 619 million euros on visa applications. The number of rejected applications tripled, climbing from 35,971 in 2014 to 169,514 in 2023. The rejection rate increased from 4.4% to 16.1%.
When negotiations for visa liberalization between Türkiye and the European Union began in 2013, Turkish nationals had already invested significant sums in visa applications.
Germany rejected the highest number of Turkish visa requests in 2023, with 55,495 rejections, representing 32.7% of all denials. Greece followed with 36,112 rejections (21.3%), and France with 19,586 (11.5%).
Visa Rejection Costs
The financial toll of rejected visa applications in 2023 for Turkish nationals to the top five destinations:
- Germany: 4.4 million euros
- Greece: 2.9 million euros
- France: 1.6 million euros
- Netherlands: 1.1 million euros
- Italy: 875,000 euros
Starting June 11, 2024, Schengen visa application fees will rise by 12%. Consequently, the total cost for Turkish applicants is projected to increase to 95 million euros in 2024.
Approval Rates and Trends
In 2023, certain countries showed higher approval rates for Turkish visa applicants:
- Portugal: 93%
- Italy: 91.1%
- Slovakia: 88.8%
- Poland: 86.6%
- Spain: 86.5%
Conversely, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania had the lowest approval rates, with Denmark approving just 55.8 percent of applications.
The high rejection rates for Schengen visas significantly affect Turkish citizens, leading to substantial financial losses. While some countries display higher approval rates, others maintain stringent policies, complicating travel plans for many. As visa fees increase in 2024, the financial burden on Turkish nationals is expected to grow even further.
