Visa refusal rates for Saudi Arabia: Schengen countries (2025), easiest and hardest, the UK, Australia and Canada
Updated on · Data: European Commission, 2025
How many Schengen visa applications made in Saudi Arabia were not issued in 2025, country by country and consulate by consulate, with the easiest and hardest countries for Saudi applicants, and how many UK study visa applications by nationals of Saudi Arabia were refused, with the latest figures for Australia and Canada. Official figures only.
Key figures
- In 2025, 553,967 Schengen visa applications were made in Saudi Arabia.
- In 2025, 5.2% of Schengen visa decisions on applications made in Saudi Arabia were "not issued": 28,467 of 550,463 decisions.
- Schengen countries issued 521,087 uniform visas on applications made in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
- The 2025 not-issued rate in Saudi Arabia was 0.7 percentage points lower than in 2024, when it was 5.9%.
Source: European Commission, Visa statistics for consulates 2025 (XLSX, downloaded on 15 October 2026); calendar year 2025, compared with 2024. Not-issued rate = visas not issued ÷ (uniform visas issued + visas with limited territorial validity + visas not issued). © European Union; reuse allowed under CC BY 4.0 (Commission legal notice, Decision 2011/833/EU, checked on 31 October 2026). Download these figures (CSV), CC BY 4.0.
Schengen visas · applications made in Saudi Arabia · 2025: 5.2% not issued (28,467 of 550,463 decisions)
Easiest Schengen visa from Saudi Arabia, by the numbers: the lowest not-issued rate among Schengen countries with at least 500 decisions was Austria (1.6%); the highest was Bulgaria (55.4%). Full ranking by country and consulate. Of the 74 countries with the most applications, Saudi Arabia ranks 9 (1 = lowest rate). Multiple-entry visas: 92.5% 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 Saudi Arabia · July 2025 to June 20262.6% of study 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: Home Affairs BP0015 (to 30 September 2026, CC BY 2.5 AU); 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 Saudi Arabia
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 | 3.8% | 5.3% | 234,331 | 224,205 | 8,854 |
| Italy | 2.4% | 4.1% | 83,189 | 81,210 | 1,979 |
| Spain | 2.8% | 2.8% | 58,670 | 55,954 | 1,601 |
| Germany | 8.0% | 8.8% | 50,921 | 46,639 | 4,049 |
| Switzerland | 4.7% | 5.5% | 31,146 | 29,593 | 1,451 |
| Austria | 1.6% | 4.3% | 18,942 | 18,224 | 303 |
| Netherlands | 15.0% | 7.7% | 18,930 | 15,911 | 2,819 |
| Czech Republic | 3.2% | 4.9% | 17,706 | 17,106 | 563 |
| Portugal | 12.7% | 6.0% | 16,501 | 14,408 | 2,093 |
| Greece | 18.9% | 9.4% | 12,159 | 9,187 | 2,154 |
| Denmark | 11.6% | 10.1% | 2,304 | 1,988 | 262 |
| Sweden | 35.0% | 31.1% | 2,265 | 1,435 | 779 |
| Hungary | 17.6% | 13.4% | 1,724 | 1,416 | 302 |
| Belgium | 22.6% | 16.1% | 1,673 | 1,265 | 370 |
| Poland | 12.7% | 15.4% | 1,209 | 1,051 | 157 |
| Bulgaria | 55.4% | 39.5% | 1,058 | 459 | 570 |
| Malta | 17.2% | 17.7% | 621 | 508 | 106 |
| Slovakia | 4.8% | 8.9% | 376 | 354 | 18 |
| Romania | 19.3% | 14.1% | 185 | 148 | 37 |
| Finland | 0.0%* | 0.0% | 57 | 26 | 0 |
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 Saudi Arabia: lowest and highest refusal rates (2025)
Which Schengen country has the lowest rejection rate for Saudi applicants? Among the 17 Schengen countries that decided at least 500 applications made in Saudi Arabia in 2025, Austria had the lowest not-issued rate (1.6%) and Bulgaria the highest (55.4%). 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 Saudi Arabia: all countries and consulates ranked.
Lowest refusal rates
- 1Austria18,542 decisions1.6%
- 2Italy83,253 decisions2.4%
- 3Spain57,875 decisions2.8%
- 4Czech Republic17,706 decisions3.2%
- 5France233,101 decisions3.8%
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 Saudi Arabia (2025)
Schengen visas issued in Saudi Arabia · 2025: 92.5% were multiple-entry visas (482,242 of 521,087 uniform visas issued)
Among the 16 Schengen countries that issued at least 500 visas in Saudi Arabia in 2025, Germany gave the highest share of multiple-entry visas (99.9%) and Sweden the lowest (63.3%). 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 Saudi Arabia 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, Finland, Romania, Slovakia.
| Germany | 99.9% | 99.8% | +0.1 pts | 46,639 | 46,599 |
| Austria | 99.5% | 99.7% | −0.2 pts | 18,224 | 18,131 |
| Italy | 96.3% | 95.5% | +0.8 pts | 81,210 | 78,188 |
| France | 93.3% | 93.0% | +0.3 pts | 224,205 | 209,273 |
| Greece | 91.4% | 94.1% | −2.7 pts | 9,187 | 8,400 |
| Czech Republic | 90.3% | 92.0% | −1.7 pts | 17,106 | 15,445 |
| Switzerland | 89.4% | 93.0% | −3.6 pts | 29,593 | 26,449 |
| Malta | 89.4% | 91.8% | −2.5 pts | 508 | 454 |
| Netherlands | 86.7% | 87.5% | −0.8 pts | 15,911 | 13,801 |
| Spain | 85.2% | 86.9% | −1.7 pts | 55,954 | 47,654 |
| Portugal | 84.5% | 85.4% | −0.9 pts | 14,408 | 12,174 |
| Hungary | 74.4% | 72.7% | +1.7 pts | 1,416 | 1,053 |
| Belgium | 73.3% | 80.5% | −7.2 pts | 1,265 | 927 |
| Poland | 72.4% | 85.7% | −13.3 pts | 1,051 | 761 |
| Denmark | 66.3% | 78.4% | −12.1 pts | 1,988 | 1,319 |
| Sweden | 63.3% | 76.0% | −12.8 pts | 1,435 | 908 |
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 Saudi Arabia, by number of applications in 2025. Where a country is represented by another, the applications appear under the country that decided them.
| France | Riyadh | 2.7% | 146,125 | 3,938 |
| France | Jeddah | 5.6% | 88,206 | 4,916 |
| Italy | Riyadh | 2.3% | 62,513 | 1,410 |
| Spain | Riyadh | 2.8% | 58,670 | 1,601 |
| Germany | Riyadh | 8.0% | 50,920 | 4,049 |
| Switzerland | Riyadh | 4.7% | 31,146 | 1,451 |
| Italy | Jeddah | 2.8% | 20,676 | 569 |
| Austria | Riyadh | 1.6% | 18,942 | 303 |
| Netherlands | Riyadh | 15.0% | 18,930 | 2,819 |
| Czech Republic | Riyadh | 3.2% | 17,706 | 563 |
| Portugal | Riyadh | 12.7% | 16,501 | 2,093 |
| Greece | Riyadh | 18.9% | 12,159 | 2,154 |
| Denmark | Riyadh | 11.6% | 2,304 | 262 |
| Sweden | Riyadh | 35.0% | 2,265 | 779 |
| Hungary | Riyadh | 17.6% | 1,724 | 302 |
| Belgium | Riyadh | 22.6% | 1,673 | 370 |
| Poland | Riyadh | 12.7% | 1,209 | 157 |
| Bulgaria | Riyadh | 55.4% | 1,058 | 570 |
| Malta | Riyadh | 17.2% | 621 | 106 |
| Slovakia | Riyadh | 4.8% | 376 | 18 |
| Romania | Riyadh | 19.3% | 185 | 37 |
| Finland | Riyadh | 0.0%* | 57 | 0 |
| Germany | Jeddah | 0.0% | 1 | 0 |
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 Saudi Arabia: study visas
From July 2025 to June 2026, the UK refused 2.6% of study visa decisions for nationals of Saudi Arabia (162 refused out of 6,328). 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 | 7.1% | 7.2% | 436 | 405 | 31 |
| Study visas | 2.6% | 3.1% | 6,328 | 6,166 | 162 |
| Work visas | 0.7% | 0.9% | 409 | 406 | 3 |
| Family visas | 13.3%* | 10.0% | 15 | 13 | 2 |
| Other visas | 0.3% | 1.8% | 312 | 311 | 1 |
| All visas | 2.7% | 3.2% | 7,500 | 7,301 | 199 |
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.
Study visas, quarter by quarter
- 2.3%Q3
2024 4,293 decisions - 5.6%Q4
2024 1,313 decisions - 3.2%Q1
2025 862 decisions - 3.4%Q2
2025 816 decisions - 1.5%Q3
2025 4,096 decisions - 4.3%Q4
2025 1,180 decisions - 5.0%Q1
2026 733 decisions - 4.4%Q2
2026 319 decisions
Source: Home Office, same file as above (published 27 August 2026, downloaded on 15 October 2026). Each bar is the share of study visa decisions taken in that quarter that were refusals; 2026 figures are provisional.
Study visas, quarter by quarter
| Q3 2024 | 2.3% | 4,293 |
| Q4 2024 | 5.6% | 1,313 |
| Q1 2025 | 3.2% | 862 |
| Q2 2025 | 3.4% | 816 |
| Q3 2025 | 1.5% | 4,096 |
| Q4 2025 | 4.3% | 1,180 |
| Q1 2026 | 5.0% | 733 |
| Q2 2026 | 4.4% | 319 |
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). "Study" is the Home Office group for sponsored study (Student, Child Student) and short-term study visas; "Work" groups all work routes (Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, temporary and seasonal work, Global Business Mobility, talent and business visas, and their dependants). * Fewer than 100 decisions; 2026 figures are provisional.
Australia student visa refusal rate for nationals of Saudi Arabia (2025-26)
In the Australian financial year 2025-26 (July 2025 to June 2026), Australia refused 2.2% of student visa decisions for primary applicants who are nationals of Saudi Arabia and applied from outside Australia (26 refused out of 1,201). In 2024-25: 0.9% (+1.3 pts). From July to September 2026: 2.4% (6 of 247 decisions, a small number: read with care). Like the UK, Australia counts applicants by citizenship, wherever they apply.
| Primary applicants applying from outside Australia | 2.2% | 0.9% | 2.4%* | 1,201 | 26 |
| Primary applicants applying in Australia | 3.8% | 5.4% | 1.7%* | 692 | 26 |
| Family members (secondary applicants) | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5%* | 1,320 | 45 |
| All student visa applicants | 3.0% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3,213 | 97 |
Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates (XLSX on data.gov.au, decisions to 30 September 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026), licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU. Student visas (subclass 500); refusal rate = refused ÷ (granted + refused), the complement of the Department's grant rate. The Department says the figures are provisional and is not responsible for our analysis. * Fewer than 500 decisions; – fewer than 100.
Student visas by education sector (primary applicants outside Australia)
| Higher education (university) | 1.6% | 0.4% | 914 | 15 |
| English language courses (ELICOS) | 4.2%* | 1.4%* | 215 | 9 |
Source: Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates, same file as above (decisions to 30 September 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026, CC BY 2.5 AU). * Fewer than 500 decisions; – fewer than 100. Not shown (fewer than 100 decisions in 2025-26): Postgraduate research, Non-award courses, Vocational education and training (VET).
Month by month (primary applicants outside Australia)
- 2%Oct
2025 130 decisions - 1%Nov
2025 184 decisions - 2%Dec
2025 141 decisions - 1%Jan
2026 89 decisions - 1%Feb
2026 71 decisions - 7%Mar
2026 45 decisions - 5%Apr
2026 43 decisions - 2%May
2026 53 decisions - 4%Jun
2026 67 decisions - 1%Jul
2026 146 decisions - 0%Aug
2026 56 decisions - 9%Sep
2026 45 decisions
Source: Home Affairs BP0015, same file as above (decisions to 30 September 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026, CC BY 2.5 AU). Each bar is the share of decisions in that month that were refusals; monthly figures can be small and move a lot.
Year by year
| 2016-17 | 2.3% | 1,128 | 2.8% | 5,206 |
| 2017-18 | 1.6% | 1,106 | 2.2% | 5,311 |
| 2018-19 | 1.8% | 2,247 | 2.2% | 6,830 |
| 2019-20 | 2.2% | 953 | 1.4% | 4,985 |
| 2020-21 | 6.6%* | 393 | 1.9% | 3,088 |
| 2021-22 | 7.2% | 628 | 4.9% | 2,857 |
| 2022-23 | 3.3% | 1,029 | 2.8% | 4,299 |
| 2023-24 | 2.1% | 1,307 | 2.8% | 3,621 |
| 2024-25 | 0.9% | 1,160 | 2.9% | 3,407 |
| 2025-26 | 2.2% | 1,201 | 3.0% | 3,213 |
| July to September 2026 (2026-27) | 2.4%* | 247 | 2.7% | 565 |
Source: Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates, same file as above (decisions to 30 September 2026, downloaded on 26 October 2026, CC BY 2.5 AU). Financial years run from July to June.
All nationalities, by sector and month: Australia student visa refusal rate by nationality.
New Zealand visa decline rate
In 2025/26 Immigration New Zealand decided at most 174 visitor, student or work visa applications from nationals of Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia approved (2025)
In 2025, IRCC approved 88.3% of the temporary resident applications from Saudi Arabia that it processed (8,585 approved out of 9,720 people). This share mixes visitor visas, study permits and work permits, first applications and extensions; "processed" includes applications refused and withdrawn, so the other 11.7% were refused or withdrawn. In 2024: 85.1%. January to August 2026: 87.0% (7,605 processed).
No study permit or visitor visa refusal rate. For each country IRCC publishes only the number of new study permit applications processed (450 from Saudi Arabia in 2025) and the number of visitor visas approved (5,345), 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 | 87.0% | 7,605 | 6,615 | 430 | 4,230 |
| 2025 | 88.3% | 9,720 | 8,585 | 450 | 5,345 |
| 2024 | 85.1% | 8,790 | 7,480 | 525 | 4,475 |
| 2023 | 81.1% | 9,060 | 7,345 | 410 | 4,395 |
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)
- 91%Sep
2025 1,070 processed - 87%Oct
2025 675 processed - 81%Nov
2025 675 processed - 84%Dec
2025 495 processed - 78%Jan
2026 690 processed - 90%Feb
2026 675 processed - 89%Mar
2026 850 processed - 88%Apr
2026 1,000 processed - 86%May
2026 1,040 processed - 91%Jun
2026 1,215 processed - 89%Jul
2026 1,070 processed - 83%Aug
2026 1,060 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
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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 Saudi Arabia, including residents of other nationalities, and leave out nationals of Saudi Arabia 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