Is France Schengen visa easy to get? If you want a visa to enter France, how easy would it be to get one having satisfied all the requirements? This question does not have a straightforward answer as several factors could be at play when embassies decide who qualifies for a visa and who doesn’t. However, we can get insight from historical trends to gauge the difficulty level.
Is France Schengen Visa Easy To Get?
When it comes to countries with the highest rejection rate, France is on the top ten list of such countries for multiple reasons. Belgium, a neighboring country that shares the same border with France, leads the way with the highest rejection rates at almost 17%, which means 83% of applicants are successful. France is fifth on the list with 9.6% rejection rates. This means that nearly one in 10 applications are rejected by French embassies abroad. While 90% of applications go through, 10% can be significant, especially if most unsuccessful applicants meet the requirements.
Taking data into consideration, getting this visa is not hard as long as you meet all the requirements. But to maximize your chances, you should consider traveling to another EU country before re-routing your path back to France.
Why French Schengen Visa Rejection Rates May Be High?
The rejection rates of Schengen visas may be high for several reasons, and we review them in this section.
Number of Applications
France is the most visited country in Europe, with close to 60 million people or more entering the country annually. These visitors come from different countries for tourism, business, medical care, and other engagements. During the year, applications may spike significantly, leading to increased rejection rates.
Errors
Another reason why rejection rates may be high would be down to errors. Regarding visa applications, the slightest error may lead to rejection. This is why applicants are advised to carefully fill out their application forms and check for errors and inaccuracies before submitting them. Once your form has been submitted, you can call it back to correct errors, as the embassy will not give you a second chance.
Invalid Documents
If you submit one or more Invalid documents, your application will be rejected. The same thing will happen if you submit the wrong document. For instance, if you submit a passport that expires in less than three months after the day you plan to depart France, your application will be rejected. It is important to only use valid documents for your visa application.
Quota System
Although the government does not make this information public, we know that EU countries have the maximum number of visitors they want in tier countries at certain periods of the year. If the number of applications exceeds that quota, they use specific parameters to reduce the number of visas issued in line with their internal policy. This may be another reason why your application may be rejected.
What Is The Best Time To Apply For A France Schengen Visa?
The best time to apply for a French Schengen visa is during the winter months in Europe when application rates are at an all-time low. This will ensure that any quota restrictions do not encumber you. The worst time to apply for a visa is during summer, when many tourists will apply for visas or when colleges are about to resume an academic session. During these times of the year, application submissions spike.
How To Improve Your Chances?
To improve your visa chances, you should consider applying to another Schengen country with a high approval rate. This option may cost you more for transportation, but it is smart. This method simply applies to another country and uses the same visa to travel to France after you land there and spend a day or two. Since Schengen visas are accepted by all the countries in the Schengen zone, you don’t have to apply for a separate Schengen visa to travel to France.
We advise you to target countries with extremely high visa approval rates like Lithuania. Lithuania is the easiest country to obtain a visa because it grants nearly 99% of applicants. However, it receives fewer applications than France and most Western European countries. Countries like Lithuania, with low application rates, also spend less time processing applications.
Another country with low application and high approval rates is Estonia which has a high 98.3% rate. Finland in Northern Europe also has a high 98.3% approval rate but receives a slightly higher application volume than Lithuania and Estonia.
Is France Schengen visa easy to get? Yes and no, depending on your ability to meet the requirements, but if you have the resources and would like to boost your chances of success, consider applying to a country with a high approval rate, then use the visa to travel to France as a second destination.