Visa refusal rates for Serbia: Schengen countries (2025), easiest and hardest, the UK and Canada
How many Schengen visa applications made in Serbia were not issued in 2025, country by country and consulate by consulate, with the easiest and hardest countries for applicants from Serbia, and how many UK visitor visa applications by nationals of Serbia were refused, with the latest figures for Canada. Official figures only.
Schengen visas · applications made in Serbia · 2025: 5.7% not issued (1,116 of 19,456 decisions)
Easiest Schengen visa from Serbia, by the numbers: the lowest not-issued rate among Schengen countries with at least 500 decisions was Greece (1.1%); the highest was Croatia (16.9%). Full ranking by country and consulate. Of the 74 countries with the most applications, Serbia ranks 13 (1 = lowest rate). Multiple-entry visas: 36.1% 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 Serbia · July 2025 to June 20264.2% 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 Serbia
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.
| Germany | 5.7% | 4.2% | 2,890 | 2,678 | 163 |
| Hungary | 11.5% | 9.7% | 2,083 | 1,834 | 238 |
| Spain | 4.0% | 10.6% | 1,981 | 1,829 | 76 |
| Italy | 4.9% | 5.3% | 1,829 | 1,740 | 89 |
| Bulgaria | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1,705 | 1,601 | 18 |
| Switzerland | 7.6% | 5.6% | 1,586 | 1,458 | 120 |
| Austria | 2.1% | 0.8% | 1,405 | 1,330 | 29 |
| Slovenia | 6.3% | 10.5% | 1,200 | 1,121 | 77 |
| France | 5.9% | 7.2% | 1,091 | 1,041 | 66 |
| Greece | 1.1% | 2.1% | 1,037 | 1,020 | 11 |
| Croatia | 16.9% | 15.5% | 886 | 703 | 146 |
| Czech Republic | 3.5% | 1.9% | 513 | 493 | 18 |
| Netherlands | 2.6% | 0.3% | 443 | 419 | 12 |
| Belgium | 4.4% | 8.3% | 399 | 365 | 17 |
| Portugal | 3.4% | 0.6% | 235 | 227 | 8 |
| Poland | 3.1% | 9.7% | 160 | 154 | 5 |
| Romania | 19.6% | 40.0% | 111 | 88 | 22 |
| Finland | 1.1%* | 17.8% | 97 | 90 | 1 |
| Slovakia | 0.0%* | 0.0% | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Sweden | 0.0%* | 14.3% | 0 | 4 | 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 Serbia: lowest and highest refusal rates (2025)
Which Schengen country has the lowest rejection rate for applicants from Serbia? Among the 12 Schengen countries that decided at least 500 applications made in Serbia in 2025, Greece had the lowest not-issued rate (1.1%) and Croatia the highest (16.9%). 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 Serbia: all countries and consulates ranked.
Lowest refusal rates
- 1Greece1,033 decisions1.1%
- 2Bulgaria1,626 decisions1.1%
- 3Austria1,370 decisions2.1%
- 4Czech Republic513 decisions3.5%
- 5Spain1,909 decisions4.0%
Highest refusal rates
- 1Croatia865 decisions16.9%
- 2Hungary2,072 decisions11.5%
- 3Switzerland1,586 decisions7.6%
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 Serbia (2025)
Schengen visas issued in Serbia · 2025: 36.1% were multiple-entry visas (6,579 of 18,200 uniform visas issued)
Among the 11 Schengen countries that issued at least 500 visas in Serbia in 2025, Greece gave the highest share of multiple-entry visas (60.1%) and Spain the lowest (0.4%). 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 Serbia 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): Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden.
| Greece | 60.1% | 54.6% | +5.5 pts | 1,020 | 613 |
| Bulgaria | 60.0% | 54.2% | +5.8 pts | 1,601 | 961 |
| Italy | 48.6% | 54.7% | −6.2 pts | 1,740 | 845 |
| Switzerland | 48.1% | 46.6% | +1.6 pts | 1,458 | 702 |
| Austria | 47.0% | 64.0% | −17.0 pts | 1,330 | 625 |
| Hungary | 42.4% | 33.4% | +9.0 pts | 1,834 | 778 |
| Croatia | 37.8% | 48.3% | −10.5 pts | 703 | 266 |
| Slovenia | 29.3% | 41.4%* | – | 1,121 | 328 |
| Germany | 20.9% | 28.3% | −7.4 pts | 2,678 | 559 |
| France | 8.8% | 8.7% | +0.1 pts | 1,041 | 92 |
| Spain | 0.4% | 0.6% | −0.2 pts | 1,829 | 8 |
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 Serbia, by number of applications in 2025. Where a country is represented by another, the applications appear under the country that decided them.
| Germany | Belgrade | 5.7% | 2,890 | 163 |
| Spain | Belgrade | 4.0% | 1,981 | 76 |
| Italy | Belgrade | 4.9% | 1,829 | 89 |
| Switzerland | Belgrade | 7.6% | 1,586 | 120 |
| Austria | Belgrade | 2.1% | 1,405 | 29 |
| Hungary | Belgrade | 11.9% | 1,377 | 163 |
| Slovenia | Belgrade | 6.3% | 1,200 | 77 |
| France | Belgrade | 5.9% | 1,091 | 66 |
| Greece | Belgrade | 1.1% | 1,037 | 11 |
| Bulgaria | Belgrade | 1.5% | 983 | 14 |
| Bulgaria | Nis | 0.6% | 722 | 4 |
| Hungary | Subotica | 10.7% | 706 | 75 |
| Croatia | Belgrade | 16.2% | 536 | 86 |
| Czech Republic | Belgrade | 3.5% | 513 | 18 |
| Netherlands | Belgrade | 2.6% | 443 | 12 |
| Belgium | Belgrade | 4.4% | 399 | 17 |
| Croatia | Subotica | 17.9% | 350 | 60 |
| Portugal | Belgrade | 3.4% | 235 | 8 |
| Poland | Belgrade | 3.1% | 160 | 5 |
| Romania | Belgrade | 19.6% | 111 | 22 |
| Finland | Belgrade | 1.1%* | 97 | 1 |
| Slovakia | Belgrade | 0.0%* | 5 | 0 |
| Sweden | Belgrade | 0.0%* | 0 | 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 Serbia: visitor visas
From July 2025 to June 2026, the UK refused 4.2% of visitor visa decisions for nationals of Serbia (668 refused out of 15,822). 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 | 4.2% | 5.0% | 15,822 | 15,154 | 668 |
| Study visas | 0.0% | 1.5% | 150 | 150 | 0 |
| Work visas | 2.1% | 1.6% | 189 | 185 | 4 |
| Family visas | 8.0%* | 1.9% | 50 | 46 | 4 |
| Other visas | 9.4% | 12.7% | 191 | 173 | 18 |
| All visas | 4.2% | 5.0% | 16,402 | 15,708 | 694 |
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
- 6.4%Q3
2024 3,143 decisions - 5.0%Q4
2024 3,003 decisions - 5.0%Q1
2025 3,070 decisions - 4.1%Q2
2025 5,439 decisions - 4.5%Q3
2025 3,321 decisions - 5.6%Q4
2025 3,469 decisions - 4.5%Q1
2026 3,842 decisions - 3.0%Q2
2026 5,190 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 21 student visa applications from primary applicants who are nationals of Serbia 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 202 visitor, student or work visa applications from nationals of Serbia 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 Serbia approved (2025)
In 2025, IRCC approved 76.5% of the temporary resident applications from Serbia that it processed (3,010 approved out of 3,935 people). This share mixes visitor visas, study permits and work permits, first applications and extensions; "processed" includes applications refused and withdrawn, so the other 23.5% were refused or withdrawn. In 2024: 85.4%. January to August 2026: 83.4% (2,705 processed).
No study permit or visitor visa refusal rate. For each country IRCC publishes only the number of new study permit applications processed (35 from Serbia in 2025) and the number of visitor visas approved (2,005), 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 | 83.4% | 2,705 | 2,255 | 20 | 1,475 |
| 2025 | 76.5% | 3,935 | 3,010 | 35 | 2,005 |
| 2024 | 85.4% | 2,370 | 2,025 | 80 | 990 |
| 2023 | 84.8% | 3,795 | 3,220 | 160 | 1,955 |
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)
- 65%Sep
2025 285 processed - 68%Oct
2025 280 processed - 69%Nov
2025 195 processed - 75%Dec
2025 240 processed - 85%Jan
2026 275 processed - 84%Feb
2026 185 processed - 82%Mar
2026 355 processed - 81%Apr
2026 465 processed - 80%May
2026 415 processed - 87%Jun
2026 465 processed - 87%Jul
2026 310 processed - 83%Aug
2026 230 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 Serbia, including residents of other nationalities, and leave out nationals of Serbia 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