Visa refusal rates for Ireland: Schengen countries (2025), easiest and hardest, New Zealand and Canada
How many Schengen visa applications made in Ireland were not issued in 2025, country by country and consulate by consulate, with the easiest and hardest countries for applicants from Ireland, with the latest figures for New Zealand and Canada. Official figures only.
Schengen visas · applications made in Ireland · 2025: 3.1% not issued (931 of 30,371 decisions)
Easiest Schengen visa from Ireland, by the numbers: the lowest not-issued rate among Schengen countries with at least 500 decisions was Greece (0.0%); the highest was Croatia (11.8%). Full ranking by country and consulate. Of the 74 countries with the most applications, Ireland ranks 4 (1 = lowest rate). Multiple-entry visas: 55.9% 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.
Australia, New Zealand and Canada · by citizenship: Latest official full-year figures for nationals of this country
Sources: Immigration New Zealand (to 30 September 2026, CC BY 3.0 NZ); 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 Ireland
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.
| France | 1.3% | 2.1% | 5,658 | 5,493 | 72 |
| Spain | 0.8% | 0.3% | 5,299 | 5,172 | 43 |
| Germany | 4.1% | 1.7% | 5,184 | 4,932 | 213 |
| Netherlands | 1.7% | 0.9% | 4,491 | 4,385 | 76 |
| Portugal | 5.8% | 1.1% | 1,355 | 1,277 | 78 |
| Austria | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1,306 | 1,252 | 4 |
| Italy | 4.4% | 3.0% | 1,286 | 1,229 | 57 |
| Belgium | 8.9% | 3.7% | 1,006 | 888 | 87 |
| Czech Republic | 0.5% | 0.4% | 824 | 820 | 4 |
| Finland | 9.2% | 2.3% | 758 | 693 | 70 |
| Greece | 0.0% | 1.3% | 657 | 656 | 0 |
| Croatia | 11.8% | 6.3% | 647 | 560 | 75 |
| Poland | 0.9% | 4.5% | 460 | 455 | 4 |
| Hungary | 14.4% | 9.5% | 382 | 322 | 55 |
| Bulgaria | 2.4% | 2.7% | 312 | 281 | 7 |
| Malta | 11.3% | 2.0% | 267 | 236 | 30 |
| Slovakia | 1.0% | 0.0% | 197 | 193 | 2 |
| Romania | 7.9% | 6.4% | 190 | 175 | 15 |
| Estonia | 11.0% | 23.5% | 144 | 128 | 16 |
| Lithuania | 1.4% | 0.0% | 142 | 138 | 2 |
| Latvia | 15.8% | 7.4% | 131 | 110 | 21 |
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 Ireland: lowest and highest refusal rates (2025)
Which Schengen country has the lowest rejection rate for applicants from Ireland? Among the 12 Schengen countries that decided at least 500 applications made in Ireland in 2025, Greece had the lowest not-issued rate (0.0%) and Croatia the highest (11.8%). Smaller numbers move too much from year to year to compare. These rates describe past decisions, not your chances. See the easiest Schengen visa from Ireland: all countries and consulates ranked.
Lowest refusal rates
- 1Greece657 decisions0.0%
- 2Austria1,256 decisions0.3%
- 3Czech Republic824 decisions0.5%
- 4Spain5,215 decisions0.8%
- 5France5,578 decisions1.3%
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 Ireland (2025)
Schengen visas issued in Ireland · 2025: 55.9% were multiple-entry visas (16,444 of 29,395 uniform visas issued)
Among the 12 Schengen countries that issued at least 500 visas in Ireland in 2025, Germany gave the highest share of multiple-entry visas (99.7%) and Spain the lowest (8.5%). 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 Ireland 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): Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia.
| Germany | 99.7% | 98.6% | +1.2 pts | 4,932 | 4,919 |
| Greece | 88.6% | 89.4% | −0.9 pts | 656 | 581 |
| Netherlands | 87.1% | 88.5% | −1.4 pts | 4,385 | 3,819 |
| Croatia | 62.5% | 67.1% | −4.6 pts | 560 | 350 |
| Czech Republic | 57.3% | 52.4% | +5.0 pts | 820 | 470 |
| Italy | 54.1% | 55.9% | −1.8 pts | 1,229 | 665 |
| France | 50.5% | 35.0% | +15.5 pts | 5,493 | 2,774 |
| Portugal | 45.1% | 58.6% | −13.5 pts | 1,277 | 576 |
| Finland | 44.0% | 43.7% | +0.4 pts | 693 | 305 |
| Austria | 30.8% | 57.0% | −26.1 pts | 1,252 | 386 |
| Belgium | 27.5% | 23.1% | +4.4 pts | 888 | 244 |
| Spain | 8.5% | 21.2% | −12.7 pts | 5,172 | 440 |
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 Ireland, by number of applications in 2025. Where a country is represented by another, the applications appear under the country that decided them.
| France | Dublin | 1.3% | 5,658 | 72 |
| Spain | Dublin | 0.8% | 5,299 | 43 |
| Germany | Dublin | 4.1% | 5,184 | 213 |
| Netherlands | Dublin | 1.7% | 4,491 | 76 |
| Portugal | Dublin | 5.8% | 1,355 | 78 |
| Austria | Dublin | 0.3% | 1,306 | 4 |
| Italy | Dublin | 4.4% | 1,286 | 57 |
| Belgium | Dublin | 8.9% | 1,006 | 87 |
| Czech Republic | Dublin | 0.5% | 824 | 4 |
| Finland | Dublin | 9.2% | 758 | 70 |
| Greece | Dublin | 0.0% | 657 | 0 |
| Croatia | Dublin | 11.8% | 647 | 75 |
| Poland | Dublin | 0.9% | 460 | 4 |
| Hungary | Dublin | 14.4% | 382 | 55 |
| Bulgaria | Dublin | 2.4% | 312 | 7 |
| Malta | Dublin | 11.3% | 267 | 30 |
| Slovakia | Dublin | 1.0% | 197 | 2 |
| Romania | Dublin | 7.9% | 190 | 15 |
| Estonia | Dublin | 11.0% | 144 | 16 |
| Lithuania | Dublin | 1.4% | 142 | 2 |
| Latvia | Dublin | 15.8% | 131 | 21 |
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
The Home Office data show 2 UK visitor visa decisions for nationals of Ireland from July 2025 to June 2026 (and fewer than 500 for study and work visas), fewer than the 500 we need to show a meaningful rate. See UK refusal rates for all nationalities.
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.
Australia student visa refusal rate
In 2025-26 Australia decided 188 student visa applications from primary applicants who are nationals of Ireland 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 for nationals of Ireland (2025/26)
In the New Zealand financial year 2025/26 (July 2025 to June 2026), Immigration New Zealand declined 2.9% of work visa applications from nationals of Ireland (46 declined out of 1,573 decided). INZ counts applications by the country that issued the passport, and its "declined" figure includes applications that were withdrawn, so these rates are not directly comparable with the UK or Australian refusal rates.
| Visitor visas | 15.4%* | 15.5%* | – | 259 | 40 |
| Student visas | – | – | – | 54 | 1 |
| Work visas | 2.9% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1,573 | 46 |
Source: Immigration New Zealand (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment): Visitors Visas decided (applications), by nationality and financial year of decision; Student Visas decided (applications), by nationality and financial year of decision; Work Visas decided (applications), by nationality and financial year of decision (PDF, prepared 8 October 2026, decisions to 30 September 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026). Crown copyright, licensed under CC BY 3.0 NZ (copyright notice). Decline rate = declined ÷ (approved + declined), applications; INZ counts withdrawn applications as declined. Financial years run from July to June.
New Zealand, year by year
| 2016/17 | 10.9%* | 175 | – | 89 | 3.8% | 3,611 |
| 2017/18 | 9.8%* | 163 | – | 94 | 4.8% | 3,336 |
| 2018/19 | 6.6%* | 181 | 1.0%* | 103 | 3.8% | 3,331 |
| 2019/20 | 8.3%* | 156 | – | 55 | 3.0% | 2,771 |
| 2020/21 | 7.3%* | 450 | – | 47 | 4.4% | 1,481 |
| 2021/22 | 3.1%* | 356 | – | 52 | 2.1% | 1,979 |
| 2022/23 | 9.9%* | 294 | – | 59 | 1.5% | 2,456 |
| 2023/24 | 13.0%* | 324 | – | 55 | 2.2% | 2,042 |
| 2024/25 | 15.5%* | 291 | – | 50 | 3.2% | 1,686 |
| 2025/26 | 15.4%* | 259 | – | 54 | 2.9% | 1,573 |
| July to September 2026 (2026/27) | – | 34 | – | 7 | 2.1% | 565 |
Source: Immigration New Zealand statistics, same PDFs as above (prepared 8 October 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026, Crown copyright, CC BY 3.0 NZ). Declined includes withdrawn applications.
* Fewer than 500 decisions; – fewer than 100. All nationalities: New Zealand visa decline rate by nationality.
Canada: temporary resident applications from Ireland approved (2025)
In 2025, IRCC approved 78.0% of the temporary resident applications from Ireland that it processed (4,955 approved out of 6,350 people). This share mixes visitor visas, study permits and work permits, first applications and extensions; "processed" includes applications refused and withdrawn, so the other 22.0% were refused or withdrawn. In 2024: 79.7%. January to August 2026: 81.3% (5,175 processed).
No study permit or visitor visa refusal rate. For each country IRCC publishes only the number of new study permit applications processed (105 from Ireland in 2025) and the number of visitor visas approved (5), 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 | 81.3% | 5,175 | 4,205 | 95 | 0 |
| 2025 | 78.0% | 6,350 | 4,955 | 105 | 5 |
| 2024 | 79.7% | 7,110 | 5,665 | 105 | 10 |
| 2023 | 87.5% | 7,835 | 6,855 | 145 | 15 |
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)
- 78%Sep
2025 360 processed - 72%Oct
2025 500 processed - 59%Nov
2025 490 processed - 68%Dec
2025 250 processed - 71%Jan
2026 280 processed - 82%Feb
2026 525 processed - 88%Mar
2026 1,015 processed - 85%Apr
2026 1,040 processed - 87%May
2026 985 processed - 80%Jun
2026 525 processed - 70%Jul
2026 380 processed - 58%Aug
2026 420 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 Ireland, including residents of other nationalities, and leave out nationals of Ireland 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