Easiest Schengen visa from the United Arab Emirates (2025): countries with the lowest refusal rate
Which Schengen country has the lowest rejection rate for applicants from the United Arab Emirates? Official 2025 figures from the European Commission for every Schengen country and consulate that decided at least 500 applications made in the United Arab Emirates, ranked from the lowest not-issued rate to the highest. Rates describe past decisions, not your chances.
Lowest not-issued rate · applications made in the United Arab Emirates · 2025: Latvia: 10.9% not issued (82 of 753 decisions)
Rates are by the country where the application was made, not by passport: these are all applications lodged in the United Arab Emirates. Full figures, consulate by consulate and the UK: Schengen visa rejection rate United Arab Emirates 2025.
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.
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.
Lowest and highest refusal rates for applicants from the United Arab Emirates (2025)
The 5 Schengen countries with the lowest not-issued rate and the 3 with the highest, among the 25 that decided at least 500 applications made in the United Arab Emirates.
Lowest refusal rates
Highest refusal rates
- 1Bulgaria4,251 decisions58.2%
- 2Luxembourg1,008 decisions48.5%
- 3Malta7,044 decisions45.9%
A lower rate is not a guarantee, and you cannot choose freely. You must apply to the country of your main destination (or, for equal stays, the first you enter), at the consulate responsible for where you legally live: the rule is on the European Commission page on applying for a Schengen visa (checked on 15 October 2026). Rates describe past decisions, not your chances.
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.
All Schengen countries ranked, applications made in the United Arab Emirates (2025)
Countries with at least 500 decisions, from the lowest not-issued rate. Tap a column heading to sort. "Change" is in percentage points on 2024. Not ranked (fewer than 500 decisions): Estonia, Lithuania; their figures are on the main United Arab Emirates page.
| 1 | Latvia | 10.9% | 6.2% | +4.7 pts | 753 | 82 |
| 2 | Spain | 14.1% | 18.3% | −4.2 pts | 29,594 | 4,171 |
| 3 | Romania | 14.5% | 15.9% | −1.5 pts | 1,093 | 158 |
| 4 | Greece | 15.6% | 17.1% | −1.4 pts | 13,544 | 2,117 |
| 5 | Austria | 16.4% | 25.1% | −8.8 pts | 6,813 | 1,116 |
| 6 | France | 16.7% | 18.9% | −2.2 pts | 28,107 | 4,702 |
| 7 | Finland | 18.0% | 25.4% | −7.5 pts | 1,598 | 287 |
| 8 | Italy | 19.1% | 15.9% | +3.2 pts | 27,398 | 5,236 |
| 9 | Belgium | 19.8% | 18.0% | +1.8 pts | 7,380 | 1,462 |
| 10 | Portugal | 20.3% | 15.9% | +4.4 pts | 2,594 | 527 |
| 11 | Switzerland | 21.3% | 21.3% | no change | 25,603 | 5,449 |
| 12 | Germany | 22.0% | 27.0% | −5.0 pts | 40,435 | 8,883 |
| 13 | Czech Republic | 24.0% | 26.4% | −2.4 pts | 8,961 | 2,150 |
| 14 | Slovenia | 27.0% | 28.9% | −1.9 pts | 1,059 | 286 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 30.5% | 20.8% | +9.7 pts | 31,096 | 9,482 |
| 16 | Norway | 30.5% | 27.6% | +3.0 pts | 16,232 | 4,958 |
| 17 | Slovakia | 31.5% | 32.8% | −1.2 pts | 1,132 | 357 |
| 18 | Denmark | 31.8% | 44.6% | −12.7 pts | 16,705 | 5,319 |
| 19 | Poland | 32.5% | 16.2% | +16.3 pts | 3,160 | 1,027 |
| 20 | Hungary | 35.2% | 33.5% | +1.7 pts | 10,333 | 3,636 |
| 21 | Sweden | 40.7% | 41.2% | −0.4 pts | 6,214 | 2,532 |
| 22 | Croatia | 42.6% | 45.8% | −3.2 pts | 1,991 | 848 |
| 23 | Malta | 45.9% | 45.0% | +0.9 pts | 7,044 | 3,235 |
| 24 | Luxembourg | 48.5% | 28.5% | +20.1 pts | 1,008 | 489 |
| 25 | Bulgaria | 58.2% | 35.9% | +22.2 pts | 4,251 | 2,473 |
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.
Consulates in the United Arab Emirates with the lowest refusal rates
Each consulate or visa section that decided at least 500 applications in 2025, from the lowest rate. Where a Schengen country is represented by another, the applications appear under the country that decided them.
| 1 | Latvia | Abu Dhabi | 10.9% | 753 | 82 |
| 2 | Italy | Abu Dhabi | 12.9% | 7,976 | 1,029 |
| 3 | Spain | Abu Dhabi | 14.1% | 29,594 | 4,171 |
| 4 | Romania | Dubai | 14.5% | 1,093 | 158 |
| 5 | Greece | Abu Dhabi | 15.6% | 13,544 | 2,117 |
| 6 | Austria | Abu Dhabi | 16.4% | 6,813 | 1,116 |
| 7 | France | Abu Dhabi | 16.7% | 28,107 | 4,702 |
| 8 | Finland | Abu Dhabi | 18.0% | 1,598 | 287 |
| 9 | Belgium | Abu Dhabi | 19.8% | 7,380 | 1,462 |
| 10 | Portugal | Abu Dhabi | 20.3% | 2,594 | 527 |
| 11 | Switzerland | Abu Dhabi | 21.3% | 25,603 | 5,449 |
| 12 | Italy | Dubai | 21.7% | 19,422 | 4,207 |
| 13 | Germany | Dubai | 22.0% | 40,435 | 8,883 |
| 14 | Czech Republic | Abu Dhabi | 24.0% | 8,961 | 2,150 |
| 15 | Slovenia | Abu Dhabi | 27.0% | 1,059 | 286 |
| 16 | Netherlands | Dubai | 30.5% | 31,095 | 9,481 |
| 17 | Norway | Abu Dhabi | 30.5% | 16,232 | 4,958 |
| 18 | Slovakia | Abu Dhabi | 31.5% | 1,132 | 357 |
| 19 | Denmark | Dubai | 31.8% | 16,705 | 5,319 |
| 20 | Poland | Abu Dhabi | 32.5% | 3,160 | 1,027 |
| 21 | Hungary | Abu Dhabi | 35.2% | 10,333 | 3,636 |
| 22 | Sweden | Abu Dhabi | 40.7% | 6,214 | 2,532 |
| 23 | Croatia | Dubai | 42.6% | 1,991 | 848 |
| 24 | Malta | Dubai | 46.9% | 6,882 | 3,228 |
| 25 | Luxembourg | Abu Dhabi | 48.5% | 1,008 | 489 |
| 26 | Bulgaria | Dubai | 58.2% | 4,251 | 2,473 |
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.
Questions people ask
Which Schengen country has the lowest rejection rate for applicants from the United Arab Emirates?
In 2025, Latvia had the lowest not-issued rate (10.9%) among the 25 Schengen countries that decided at least 500 applications made in the United Arab Emirates. The next lowest were Spain (14.1%), Romania (14.5%), Greece (15.6%).
Which Schengen country rejects the most applications from the United Arab Emirates?
Bulgaria, with 58.2% of 4,251 decisions not issued in 2025, followed by Luxembourg (48.5%), Malta (45.9%).
Which Schengen visa is easiest to get from the United Arab Emirates?
There is no 'easy' Schengen visa: every country applies the same Visa Code, and you must apply to the country of your main destination. The figures show that in 2025 consulates of Latvia in the United Arab Emirates issued visas to a larger share of applicants than consulates of Bulgaria, but each rate mixes different travellers, purposes and documents. Rates describe past decisions, not your chances.
Can I apply to the country with the lowest refusal rate?
Only if it is your main destination (where you will spend the most time) or, for equal stays, the first Schengen country you enter. Applying to a country you do not plan to visit mainly can itself lead to a refusal.
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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.
What "easiest" means here
- Where you apply, not your passport. The Commission counts applications by the country where they were lodged: the figures for the United Arab Emirates include residents of other nationalities, and leave out nationals of the United Arab Emirates who applied elsewhere.
- Not issued = refused plus applications whose examination was discontinued, ÷ (uniform visas issued + visas with limited territorial validity + not issued): the formula in the Commission's file.
- Minimum 500 decisions. A consulate that decided 40 applications can swing from 5% to 30% in a year without anything changing; we rank only countries and consulates with enough decisions.
- If you are refused, the consulate must tell you why and how to appeal (European Commission). Full method: how we calculate the rates.
Easiest Schengen visa from other countries
Living in the United Arab Emirates? Schengen visa from Dubai: which country refuses least, the €90 fee in dirhams, insurance and money to show, country by country.
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