A Business Standard analysis released on 10 December puts the direct financial hit from Schengen visa refusals on Indian applicants at ₹136 crore for calendar year 2024, calculated from the non-refundable €90 fee that rose in 2025. France topped the rejection table with 31,314 denials, followed by Switzerland and Germany.
Overall, Indian outbound travel has surged past pre-pandemic levels, with 3.08 crore departures in 2024 and a projected 12 percent growth in 2025. A parallel VisaVerge study finds the Schengen rejection rate for Indians running at 15 percent, aggravated by appointment backlogs that can stretch to six months at certain consulates.
High refusal rates have knock-on effects for corporates: conference delegations are forced to split across multiple application centres, while last-minute re-routing through Balkan or Turkish hubs drives up costs. Travel-risk managers now routinely advise executives to apply at least 12 weeks before travel and to obtain multiple-entry visas where possible.
![Schengen visa rejections cost Indian travellers ₹136 crore in fees, says new report]()
Amid this complexity, Indian travellers can streamline their Schengen applications through VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), which offers real-time appointment tracking, document pre-screening and courier pick-up services. By flagging country-specific checklist changes and providing professional review, VisaHQ helps reduce the risk of costly refusals and last-minute itinerary disruptions.
EU officials say a shift to an ‘EU Digital Visa’ platform in 2026 should cut paperwork and improve transparency, but Indian travel agents fear that without additional consular staff, appointment bottlenecks will persist. Insurance providers meanwhile report a spike in ‘visa-denial cover’ add-ons, a niche product that refunds sunk fees and flight costs if an application is refused.
For Indian applicants the immediate takeaway is to submit meticulously documented itineraries, maintain strong financial-proof balances and, where feasible, leverage the France VFS premium lounge or the “Helsinki-route” where appointment queues are currently shortest.
Overall, Indian outbound travel has surged past pre-pandemic levels, with 3.08 crore departures in 2024 and a projected 12 percent growth in 2025. A parallel VisaVerge study finds the Schengen rejection rate for Indians running at 15 percent, aggravated by appointment backlogs that can stretch to six months at certain consulates.
High refusal rates have knock-on effects for corporates: conference delegations are forced to split across multiple application centres, while last-minute re-routing through Balkan or Turkish hubs drives up costs. Travel-risk managers now routinely advise executives to apply at least 12 weeks before travel and to obtain multiple-entry visas where possible.
Amid this complexity, Indian travellers can streamline their Schengen applications through VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), which offers real-time appointment tracking, document pre-screening and courier pick-up services. By flagging country-specific checklist changes and providing professional review, VisaHQ helps reduce the risk of costly refusals and last-minute itinerary disruptions.
EU officials say a shift to an ‘EU Digital Visa’ platform in 2026 should cut paperwork and improve transparency, but Indian travel agents fear that without additional consular staff, appointment bottlenecks will persist. Insurance providers meanwhile report a spike in ‘visa-denial cover’ add-ons, a niche product that refunds sunk fees and flight costs if an application is refused.
For Indian applicants the immediate takeaway is to submit meticulously documented itineraries, maintain strong financial-proof balances and, where feasible, leverage the France VFS premium lounge or the “Helsinki-route” where appointment queues are currently shortest.
