Turkish Schengen visa rejections expected to surge in 2024
Turkish citizen holds her passport during an interview in Istanbul, Türkiye in August 24, 2022. (Reuters)
The European Union’s official data reveals that in 2023, visa applications from 200,000 Turkish citizens were rejected, with the rejection rate expected to increase further in 2024.
European countries have significantly tightened visa regulations for Turkish citizens. Approval rates for visa applications from countries such as Belarus, Russia, India, Morocco, and China have surpassed those from Türkiye.
According to official figures from the European Commission, only Iranian citizens have higher visa rejection rates than Turkish citizens.
Despite Türkiye’s inclusion in the customs union and its ongoing candidacy for full EU membership, the visa process has become increasingly stringent.
On the other hand, the EU makes millions off rejected visas in Türkiye, earning a total of 130 million euros ($141.63 million) from rejected Schengen visa applications in 2023, up from 105 million euros in 2022, according to EU Observer and data from consultancy LAGO Collective. Despite the rejection of visas, the application fees, currently 80 euros and set to rise to 90 euros from June 11, remain non-refundable.
In 2023, over 16% of the 1,055,885 visa applications submitted to EU countries were rejected. Approximately 200,000 Turkish citizens were denied EU visas. With rejection rates for Iranian citizens at 25.1% in 2022 and 30% in 2023, Türkiye ranks as the second-highest country in terms of visa rejections to Europe.
The situation is expected to deteriorate further in 2024. The post-pandemic surge in applications, economic crises, and illegal entries into Europe have led to more stringent visa scrutiny.
Germany has announced that visa appointments can take up to seven months to schedule. After securing an appointment, the processing time can extend to several months, resulting in visa applications taking up to a year to complete.
While visas are occasionally granted within a month or a few months, the greatest emotional and financial impacts are demonstrated in family reunification cases and business visits.
