France denied 578,441 visa applications in 2024—an annual increase of 14.1 %—according to the Interior Ministry’s Directorate-General for Foreigners in France (DGEF) report released on 24 October 2025. Despite the absolute rise, the refusal rate edged down from 17 % to 16.6 % because total applications climbed to 3.49 million.
Student visas remained the largest category (109,300 issuances) followed by family-reunion permits (90,600). Rejections were most common for incomplete documentation and doubts over applicants’ intention to leave the Schengen Area before visa expiry. Applications from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia accounted for a disproportionate share of both issuances and refusals.
For global-mobility teams relocating talent to France, the data underline a tighter documentary scrutiny—especially around proof of accommodation and financial means. Companies are advised to audit invitation letters and ensure third-party service providers avoid shortcuts that can trigger red-flags in France-Visas’ risk-scoring system.
Law firms predict that the forthcoming 2026 budget may allocate extra resources to consular sections to clear backlogs but also to fraud detection. Meanwhile, a pilot e-visa portal for work-permit holders is slated for Q2 2026, potentially accelerating corporate approvals while maintaining high rejection rates for poorly prepared files.
Student visas remained the largest category (109,300 issuances) followed by family-reunion permits (90,600). Rejections were most common for incomplete documentation and doubts over applicants’ intention to leave the Schengen Area before visa expiry. Applications from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia accounted for a disproportionate share of both issuances and refusals.
For global-mobility teams relocating talent to France, the data underline a tighter documentary scrutiny—especially around proof of accommodation and financial means. Companies are advised to audit invitation letters and ensure third-party service providers avoid shortcuts that can trigger red-flags in France-Visas’ risk-scoring system.
Law firms predict that the forthcoming 2026 budget may allocate extra resources to consular sections to clear backlogs but also to fraud detection. Meanwhile, a pilot e-visa portal for work-permit holders is slated for Q2 2026, potentially accelerating corporate approvals while maintaining high rejection rates for poorly prepared files.
