Visa refusal rates for Sri Lanka: Schengen countries (2025), easiest and hardest, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada
Updated on · Data: European Commission, 2025
How many Schengen visa applications made in Sri Lanka were not issued in 2025, country by country and consulate by consulate, with the easiest and hardest countries for Sri Lankan applicants, and how many UK visitor, study, work and family visa applications by nationals of Sri Lanka were refused, with the latest figures for Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Official figures only.
Key figures
- In 2025, 25,663 Schengen visa applications were made in Sri Lanka.
- In 2025, 29.1% of Schengen visa decisions on applications made in Sri Lanka were "not issued": 7,431 of 25,552 decisions.
- Schengen countries issued 17,980 uniform visas on applications made in Sri Lanka in 2025.
- The 2025 not-issued rate in Sri Lanka was 6.3 percentage points lower than in 2024, when it was 35.4%.
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 Sri Lanka · 2025: 29.1% not issued (7,431 of 25,552 decisions)
Easiest Schengen visa from Sri Lanka, by the numbers: the lowest not-issued rate among Schengen countries with at least 500 decisions was Germany (13.6%); the highest was Italy (38.5%). Of the 74 countries with the most applications, Sri Lanka ranks 48 (1 = lowest rate). Multiple-entry visas: 48.0% 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 Sri Lanka · July 2025 to June 202629.3% 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: Home Affairs BP0015 (to 30 September 2026, CC BY 2.5 AU); 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 Sri Lanka
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 | 30.2% | 35.7% | 9,219 | 6,365 | 2,751 |
| Switzerland | 30.8% | 34.1% | 6,908 | 4,653 | 2,130 |
| Italy | 38.5% | 39.8% | 5,061 | 3,113 | 1,948 |
| Germany | 13.6% | 32.8% | 4,454 | 3,832 | 602 |
| Netherlands | 0.0%* | 11.1% | 21 | 17 | 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 Sri Lanka: lowest and highest refusal rates (2025)
Which Schengen country has the lowest rejection rate for Sri Lankan applicants? Among the 4 Schengen countries that decided at least 500 applications made in Sri Lanka in 2025, Germany had the lowest not-issued rate (13.6%) and Italy the highest (38.5%). Smaller numbers move too much from year to year to compare. These rates describe past decisions, not your chances.
Lowest refusal rates
- 1Germany4,435 decisions13.6%
- 2France9,116 decisions30.2%
- 3Switzerland6,908 decisions30.8%
- 4Italy5,065 decisions38.5%
Highest refusal rates
- 1Italy5,065 decisions38.5%
- 2Switzerland6,908 decisions30.8%
- 3France9,116 decisions30.2%
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 Sri Lanka (2025)
Schengen visas issued in Sri Lanka · 2025: 48.0% were multiple-entry visas (8,638 of 17,980 uniform visas issued)
Among the 4 Schengen countries that issued at least 500 visas in Sri Lanka in 2025, Germany gave the highest share of multiple-entry visas (99.8%) and France the lowest (20.7%). 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 Sri Lanka 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): Netherlands.
| Germany | 99.8% | 98.0% | +1.8 pts | 3,832 | 3,825 |
| Italy | 72.3% | 29.5% | +42.7 pts | 3,113 | 2,250 |
| Switzerland | 26.6% | 33.5% | −7.0 pts | 4,653 | 1,236 |
| France | 20.7% | 17.2% | +3.5 pts | 6,365 | 1,318 |
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 Sri Lanka, by number of applications in 2025. Where a country is represented by another, the applications appear under the country that decided them.
| France | Colombo | 30.2% | 9,219 | 2,751 |
| Switzerland | Colombo | 30.8% | 6,908 | 2,130 |
| Italy | Colombo | 38.5% | 5,061 | 1,948 |
| Germany | Colombo | 13.6% | 4,454 | 602 |
| Netherlands | Colombo | 0.0%* | 21 | 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 Sri Lanka: visitor, study, work and family visas
From July 2025 to June 2026, the UK refused 29.3% of visitor visa decisions for nationals of Sri Lanka (8,842 refused out of 30,130). 11.4% of study visa decisions were refused (4,181 decisions); 17.8% of work visa decisions were refused (3,242 decisions); 8.4% of family visa decisions were refused (831 decisions). For partner (spouse) visas alone the rate was 6.1% (31 refused out of 510 decisions; compare all nationalities). 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 | 29.3% | 26.1% | 30,130 | 21,288 | 8,842 |
| Study visas | 11.4% | 8.3% | 4,181 | 3,706 | 475 |
| Work visas | 17.8% | 22.3% | 3,242 | 2,664 | 578 |
| Family visas | 8.4% | 8.3% | 831 | 761 | 70 |
| of which partner (spouse) visas | 6.1% | 6.1% | 510 | 479 | 31 |
| Other visas | 47.0% | 41.9% | 468 | 248 | 220 |
| All visas | 26.2% | 23.5% | 38,852 | 28,667 | 10,185 |
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
- 23.9%Q3
2024 8,734 decisions - 34.5%Q4
2024 6,258 decisions - 27.0%Q1
2025 6,599 decisions - 22.4%Q2
2025 10,751 decisions - 28.7%Q3
2025 8,146 decisions - 34.3%Q4
2025 6,230 decisions - 32.7%Q1
2026 6,422 decisions - 24.3%Q2
2026 9,332 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.
Study, work and family visas, quarter by quarter
| Q3 2024 | 6.0% | 2,124 | 18.9% | 1,753 | 9.9% | 274 |
| Q4 2024 | 8.6% | 947 | 23.5% | 1,523 | 5.5% | 255 |
| Q1 2025 | 7.3% | 1,030 | 27.6% | 1,568 | 10.5% | 256 |
| Q2 2025 | 17.6% | 625 | 19.6% | 1,482 | 6.9% | 233 |
| Q3 2025 | 4.9% | 2,553 | 24.7% | 1,056 | 8.7% | 196 |
| Q4 2025 | 22.1% | 547 | 21.2% | 730 | 7.1% | 212 |
| Q1 2026 | 21.8% | 833 | 11.0% | 681 | 9.1% | 230 |
| Q2 2026 | 18.5% | 248 | 11.2% | 775 | 8.8% | 193 |
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). "Family" is the Home Office group for people joining a British citizen or a person settled in the UK (partners, children and other relatives) and for refugee family reunion; "partner" is the Home Office visa type "Family: Partner", the route for spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners. * Fewer than 100 decisions; 2026 figures are provisional.
Australia student visa refusal rate for nationals of Sri Lanka (2025-26)
In the Australian financial year 2025-26 (July 2025 to June 2026), Australia refused 24.8% of student visa decisions for primary applicants who are nationals of Sri Lanka and applied from outside Australia (1,157 refused out of 4,667). In 2024-25: 6.2% (+18.6 pts). From July to September 2026: 28.7% (220 of 766 decisions). Like the UK, Australia counts applicants by citizenship, wherever they apply.
| Primary applicants applying from outside Australia | 24.8% | 6.2% | 28.7% | 4,667 | 1,157 |
| Primary applicants applying in Australia | 16.8% | 25.9% | 11.4% | 3,369 | 566 |
| Family members (secondary applicants) | 20.5% | 19.4% | 25.9%* | 2,311 | 474 |
| All student visa applicants | 21.2% | 13.8% | 22.6% | 10,347 | 2,197 |
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) | 25.3% | 5.6% | 3,998 | 1,011 |
| Postgraduate research | 5.5%* | 0.0%* | 326 | 18 |
| Vocational education and training (VET) | 79.5%* | – | 132 | 105 |
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): Schools, Foreign Affairs or Defence, Non-award courses, English language courses (ELICOS).
Month by month (primary applicants outside Australia)
- 14%Oct
2025 223 decisions - 12%Nov
2025 319 decisions - 10%Dec
2025 368 decisions - 19%Jan
2026 378 decisions - 37%Feb
2026 728 decisions - 53%Mar
2026 709 decisions - 17%Apr
2026 124 decisions - 20%May
2026 254 decisions - 27%Jun
2026 539 decisions - 32%Jul
2026 416 decisions - 27%Aug
2026 213 decisions - 23%Sep
2026 137 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 | 9.6% | 3,384 | 9.3% | 5,716 |
| 2017-18 | 8.8% | 3,872 | 9.8% | 6,716 |
| 2018-19 | 12.7% | 4,658 | 11.1% | 8,700 |
| 2019-20 | 21.4% | 3,580 | 15.1% | 8,009 |
| 2020-21 | 10.2% | 999 | 4.5% | 4,530 |
| 2021-22 | 5.9% | 2,202 | 5.9% | 5,875 |
| 2022-23 | 8.6% | 7,195 | 6.7% | 14,298 |
| 2023-24 | 12.6% | 6,559 | 14.5% | 10,946 |
| 2024-25 | 6.2% | 6,219 | 13.8% | 11,537 |
| 2025-26 | 24.8% | 4,667 | 21.2% | 10,347 |
| July to September 2026 (2026-27) | 28.7% | 766 | 22.6% | 1,600 |
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.
Visitor visas: share not granted, quarter by quarter
Home Affairs publishes visitor visa grant rates by citizenship only in its six-monthly visitor visa report, for the 15 countries it lists for each visa. For nationals of Sri Lanka, these are the shares of decisions that were not grants (100% minus the grant rate).
| Tourist visitor visas (subclass 600 and 676, as grouped in the report) | 19.0% | 17.1% | 18.1% | 18.4% | 21.8% |
| Sponsored tourist visitor visas (subclass 600, sponsored family stream) | 38.6% | 35.4% | 37.8% | 37.6% | 39.4% |
Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, BR0112 Visitor visa program report, 31 December 2025 (PDF, tables 3.02 and 3.03, downloaded on 26 October 2026), licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU (copyright notice). The report gives grant rates, not the number of decisions: we show a nationality only if the Department's BP0018 visitor visas granted file (CC BY 2.5 AU, downloaded on 26 October 2026) counts at least 500 grants of that visa in the latest quarter, so the rate rests on at least 500 decisions.
All nationalities, by sector and month: Australia student visa refusal rate by nationality.
New Zealand visa decline rate for nationals of Sri Lanka (2025/26)
In the New Zealand financial year 2025/26 (July 2025 to June 2026), Immigration New Zealand declined 19.0% of visitor visa applications from nationals of Sri Lanka (1,113 declined out of 5,846 decided); 8.3% of student visa applications (5,935 decisions); 2.8% of work visa applications (7,172 decisions). 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 | 19.0% | 24.6% | 13.2% | 5,846 | 1,113 |
| Student visas | 8.3% | 10.8% | 10.6% | 5,935 | 490 |
| Work visas | 2.8% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 7,172 | 200 |
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 | 13.7% | 3,111 | 22.0% | 1,631 | 10.0% | 2,280 |
| 2017/18 | 11.6% | 3,696 | 22.8% | 1,777 | 9.4% | 3,104 |
| 2018/19 | 16.6% | 3,488 | 15.4% | 1,621 | 7.3% | 3,340 |
| 2019/20 | 22.1% | 3,386 | 21.5% | 1,741 | 7.9% | 3,078 |
| 2020/21 | 12.5% | 569 | 3.0% | 970 | 3.8% | 2,558 |
| 2021/22 | 10.4% | 721 | 4.3% | 934 | 4.0% | 2,848 |
| 2022/23 | 13.8% | 3,949 | 18.1% | 2,329 | 3.9% | 4,147 |
| 2023/24 | 17.7% | 5,413 | 9.9% | 3,709 | 4.9% | 4,531 |
| 2024/25 | 24.6% | 5,922 | 10.8% | 5,823 | 4.3% | 6,190 |
| 2025/26 | 19.0% | 5,846 | 8.3% | 5,935 | 2.8% | 7,172 |
| July to September 2026 (2026/27) | 13.2% | 1,533 | 10.6% | 1,788 | 2.3% | 2,154 |
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 Sri Lanka approved (2025)
In 2025, IRCC approved 59.7% of the temporary resident applications from Sri Lanka that it processed (23,855 approved out of 39,990 people). This share mixes visitor visas, study permits and work permits, first applications and extensions; "processed" includes applications refused and withdrawn, so the other 40.3% were refused or withdrawn. In 2024: 48.3%. January to August 2026: 70.1% (28,525 processed).
No study permit or visitor visa refusal rate. For each country IRCC publishes only the number of new study permit applications processed (1,520 from Sri Lanka in 2025) and the number of visitor visas approved (8,055), 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 | 70.1% | 28,525 | 20,000 | 595 | 6,390 |
| 2025 | 59.7% | 39,990 | 23,855 | 1,520 | 8,055 |
| 2024 | 48.3% | 79,615 | 38,430 | 5,460 | 15,725 |
| 2023 | 60.8% | 57,780 | 35,155 | 7,235 | 19,425 |
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)
- 68%Sep
2025 2,595 processed - 62%Oct
2025 2,605 processed - 55%Nov
2025 3,555 processed - 68%Dec
2025 2,745 processed - 72%Jan
2026 2,955 processed - 76%Feb
2026 3,110 processed - 72%Mar
2026 3,695 processed - 60%Apr
2026 3,120 processed - 75%May
2026 3,530 processed - 71%Jun
2026 3,890 processed - 69%Jul
2026 4,325 processed - 65%Aug
2026 3,900 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 Sri Lanka, including residents of other nationalities, and leave out nationals of Sri Lanka 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