Visa refusal rates for DR Congo: Schengen countries (2025), easiest and hardest, the UK and Canada
How many Schengen visa applications made in DR Congo were not issued in 2025, country by country and consulate by consulate, with the easiest and hardest countries for Congolese applicants, and how many UK visitor visa applications by nationals of DR Congo were refused, with the latest figures for Canada. Official figures only.
Schengen visas · applications made in DR Congo · 2025: 40.1% not issued (20,508 of 51,133 decisions)
Easiest Schengen visa from DR Congo, by the numbers: the lowest not-issued rate among Schengen countries with at least 500 decisions was Belgium (34.9%); the highest was Switzerland (72.9%). Of the 74 countries with the most applications, DR Congo ranks 62 (1 = lowest rate). Multiple-entry visas: 71.9% of uniform visas issued in 2025 (by country).
Source: European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2025 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026); European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2024 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Short-stay (Schengen) visas, calendar year. All years on the Commission website.
United Kingdom · nationals of DR Congo · July 2025 to June 202656.3% of visitor visa decisions refused (details)
Source: Home Office, entry clearance visa outcomes, published 27 August 2026, downloaded on 15 October 2026
Australia, New Zealand and Canada · by citizenship: Latest official full-year figures for nationals of this country
Sources: IRCC (2025, Open Government Licence – Canada); downloaded on 26 October 2026. Details and definitions below.
Statistics, not advice. These are official figures for all applications made in a past period. They cannot predict the decision on your application, and a lower rate does not make a visa easier for you: you must apply to the Schengen country where you will spend the most time (or, for equal stays, the one you enter first), at the consulate responsible for the place where you legally live. Always follow the consulate's official requirements.
Schengen visa rejection rate by country, applications made in DR Congo
Tap a column heading to sort. "Not issued" includes refusals and applications whose examination was discontinued. * Fewer than 100 decisions: the rate can swing a lot.
| Belgium | 34.9% | 22.3% | 39,612 | 25,554 | 13,674 |
| Greece | 49.5% | 59.9% | 5,290 | 2,391 | 2,344 |
| Spain | 62.2% | 56.8% | 4,125 | 1,341 | 2,547 |
| Switzerland | 72.9% | 63.0% | 2,630 | 684 | 1,916 |
| Germany | 6.1% | 15.7% | 305 | 229 | 18 |
| France | 5.8% | 2.9% | 80 | 68 | 8 |
| Netherlands | 0.0%* | 25.0% | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Italy | 100.0%* | 100.0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2025 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026); European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2024 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Short-stay (Schengen) visas, calendar year. All years on the Commission website.
Easiest Schengen visa from DR Congo: lowest and highest refusal rates (2025)
Which Schengen country has the lowest rejection rate for Congolese applicants? Among the 4 Schengen countries that decided at least 500 applications made in DR Congo in 2025, Belgium had the lowest not-issued rate (34.9%) and Switzerland the highest (72.9%). Smaller numbers move too much from year to year to compare. These rates describe past decisions, not your chances.
Lowest refusal rates
- 1Belgium39,234 decisions34.9%
- 2Greece4,737 decisions49.5%
- 3Spain4,094 decisions62.2%
- 4Switzerland2,630 decisions72.9%
Highest refusal rates
- 1Switzerland2,630 decisions72.9%
- 2Spain4,094 decisions62.2%
- 3Greece4,737 decisions49.5%
A lower rate is not a guarantee, and you cannot choose freely. Each rate mixes different travellers, purposes and documents. You must apply to the country of your main destination: the rule is on the European Commission page on applying for a Schengen visa (checked on 15 October 2026). Applying to a country you do not plan to visit mainly can itself lead to a refusal.
Source: European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2025 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Short-stay (Schengen) visas, calendar year. All years on the Commission website.
Multiple-entry Schengen visas issued in DR Congo (2025)
Schengen visas issued in DR Congo · 2025: 71.9% were multiple-entry visas (21,757 of 30,272 uniform visas issued)
Among the 4 Schengen countries that issued at least 500 visas in DR Congo in 2025, Belgium gave the highest share of multiple-entry visas (81.4%) and Spain the lowest (11.0%). All Schengen visas issued worldwide in 2025: 51.7% multiple-entry. Multiple-entry Schengen visas by country and by place of application.
Source: European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2025 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026); European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2024 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Short-stay (Schengen) visas, calendar year. All years on the Commission website.
Schengen countries that issued at least 500 uniform visas in DR Congo in 2025, from the highest share of multiple-entry visas. Tap a column heading to sort. "Change" is in percentage points; * fewer than 500 visas issued in 2024. Not shown (fewer than 500 visas issued): France, Germany, Netherlands.
| Belgium | 81.4% | 82.7% | −1.2 pts | 25,554 | 20,808 |
| Switzerland | 34.4% | 34.2% | +0.1 pts | 684 | 235 |
| Greece | 16.4% | 12.0% | +4.5 pts | 2,391 | 393 |
| Spain | 11.0% | 29.6% | −18.6 pts | 1,341 | 148 |
Source: European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2025 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026); European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2024 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Short-stay (Schengen) visas, calendar year. All years on the Commission website.
What this share means, and what it does not. A multiple-entry visa "allows several visits to the Schengen area for as long as the visa is valid"; a single-entry visa allows one entry (European Commission, checked on 30 October 2026). Every visit is still a short stay, of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A multiple-entry visa is not a long-stay visa, a work permit or a residence permit. The Commission's file only says whether each visa allows multiple entries: it does not say how long the visas were valid for. The share describes visas issued in the past, not your chances: the consulate decides the number of entries and the validity of each visa.
By consulate
Each Schengen country's consulates (or visa sections) in DR Congo, by number of applications in 2025. Where a country is represented by another, the applications appear under the country that decided them.
| Belgium | Kinshasa | 38.0% | 33,869 | 12,746 |
| Belgium | Lubumbashi | 16.3% | 5,743 | 928 |
| Greece | Kinshasa | 49.5% | 5,290 | 2,344 |
| Spain | Kinshasa | 62.2% | 4,125 | 2,547 |
| Switzerland | Kinshasa | 72.9% | 2,630 | 1,916 |
| Germany | Kinshasa | 6.1% | 305 | 18 |
| France | Kinshasa | 5.8% | 80 | 8 |
| Netherlands | Kinshasa | 0.0%* | 5 | 0 |
| Italy | Kinshasa | 100.0%* | 1 | 1 |
Source: European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2025 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Short-stay (Schengen) visas, calendar year. All years on the Commission website.
UK visa refusal rate for nationals of DR Congo: visitor visas
From July 2025 to June 2026, the UK refused 56.3% of visitor visa decisions for nationals of DR Congo (2,896 refused out of 5,148). Unlike the Schengen figures, the UK counts applicants by nationality, wherever they apply.
| Visa type | Refused 12 months to Jun 2026 | Year before 12 months to Jun 2025 | Decisions | Granted | Refused |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor visas | 56.3% | 52.1% | 5,148 | 2,252 | 2,896 |
| Study visas | 12.6%* | 15.3% | 95 | 83 | 12 |
| Work visas | 30.8%* | 20.4% | 52 | 36 | 16 |
| Family visas | 27.6% | 30.3% | 163 | 118 | 45 |
| Other visas | 34.1%* | 51.7% | 88 | 58 | 30 |
| All visas | 54.1% | 50.2% | 5,546 | 2,547 | 2,999 |
Source: Home Office, Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes detailed datasets, year ending June 2026 (XLSX, published 27 August 2026, downloaded on 15 October 2026; next update 26 November 2026). Refusal rate = refused ÷ (granted + refused), as in the Home Office grant rate; withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded. Figures from 2026 Q1 are provisional.
Visitor visas, quarter by quarter
- 49.7%Q3
2024 1,315 decisions - 51.9%Q4
2024 1,262 decisions - 49.9%Q1
2025 923 decisions - 55.2%Q2
2025 1,693 decisions - 61.2%Q3
2025 1,505 decisions - 60.5%Q4
2025 1,326 decisions - 52.1%Q1
2026 896 decisions - 49.7%Q2
2026 1,421 decisions
Source: Home Office, same file as above (published 27 August 2026, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Each bar is the share of visitor visa decisions taken in that quarter that were refusals; 2026 figures are provisional.
Australia student visa refusal rate
In 2025-26 Australia decided 9 student visa applications from primary applicants who are nationals of DR Congo and applied from outside Australia, fewer than the 500 we need to show a meaningful rate. See Australia visa refusal rates for all nationalities.
New Zealand visa decline rate
In 2025/26 Immigration New Zealand decided at most 126 visitor, student or work visa applications from nationals of DR Congo in each category, fewer than the 500 we need to show a meaningful rate. See New Zealand visa decline rates for all nationalities.
Canada: temporary resident applications from DR Congo approved (2025)
In 2025, IRCC approved 20.6% of the temporary resident applications from DR Congo that it processed (15,250 approved out of 74,100 people). This share mixes visitor visas, study permits and work permits, first applications and extensions; "processed" includes applications refused and withdrawn, so the other 79.4% were refused or withdrawn. In 2024: 31.4%. January to August 2026: 44.7% (22,150 processed).
No study permit or visitor visa refusal rate. For each country IRCC publishes only the number of new study permit applications processed (6,330 from DR Congo in 2025) and the number of visitor visas approved (3,940), never both for the same visa, so a study permit or visitor visa refusal rate cannot be calculated from the official files.
| January to August 2026 | 44.7% | 22,150 | 9,905 | 1,630 | 1,405 |
| 2025 | 20.6% | 74,100 | 15,250 | 6,330 | 3,940 |
| 2024 | 31.4% | 41,495 | 13,045 | 10,505 | 3,590 |
| 2023 | 48.3% | 35,940 | 17,350 | 15,350 | 6,045 |
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Operational Processing – Monthly IRCC Updates: temporary resident applications processed, temporary resident applications approved, new study permit applications processed, visitor visas (V-1) approved (XLSX, data as of September 1, 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. IRCC rounds counts to the nearest 5 and does not publish counts from 1 to 4; the data are operational and subject to change.
Approved share, month by month (all temporary resident applications)
- 18%Sep
2025 6,265 processed - 15%Oct
2025 8,685 processed - 34%Nov
2025 4,360 processed - 44%Dec
2025 3,460 processed - 35%Jan
2026 3,695 processed - 55%Feb
2026 3,600 processed - 48%Mar
2026 3,455 processed - 25%Apr
2026 3,385 processed - 26%May
2026 3,725 processed - 67%Jun
2026 1,180 processed - 71%Jul
2026 1,425 processed - 80%Aug
2026 1,685 processed
Source: IRCC, same files as above (data as of September 1, 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026). Each bar is approved ÷ processed in that month. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
All countries: Canada temporary resident approval rate by country.
Travel medical insurance
AffiliateA Schengen visa application must include medical insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation (European Commission, checked on 15 October 2026). SafetyWing's own FAQ says many members have used its Nomad Insurance for visa applications, Schengen included, but that it cannot guarantee every authority will accept it (SafetyWing FAQ, read on 31 October 2026). Check the minimum cover, the countries and the dates the consulate asks for, and the certificate you need, before you buy any policy.
See SafetyWing travel medical insurance (opens in a new tab)
SafetyWing sells travel medical insurance for travellers and nomads online. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Buying insurance does not change the decision on your visa, and we do not know whether a given consulate accepts a given policy: check before you pay.
How to read these figures
- Where you apply, not your passport. The Schengen figures count applications made in DR Congo, including residents of other nationalities, and leave out nationals of DR Congo who applied elsewhere.
- Not-issued rate = visas not issued ÷ (uniform visas issued + visas with limited territorial validity + visas not issued), the formula in the Commission's file. Applications still pending at the end of the year are not counted.
- If you are refused, the consulate must tell you why and how to appeal (European Commission).
- Australia, New Zealand and Canada count applicants by citizenship (Canada: "source country"), like the UK, and each authority defines its rate differently: see the notes under each table.
- Full method: how we calculate the rates.
Other countries where people apply
Schengen visa refusal rates by country, 2025 · Multiple-entry Schengen visas by country · UK visa refusal rates by nationality · Australia · New Zealand · Canada · Visa income calculator