An IMGW News Report
The Schengen Area may promise freedom of movement, but when it comes to granting entry to outsiders, not all borders are equally open. New figures from 2024 reveal stark contrasts in how European states issue visas – some extending them with ease, others exercising rigid control. The result is a fragmented map of access, shaped by geography, policy, and politics.
Southern European countries, including Malta, Greece, Portugal, and Italy, continue to show relative openness – processing large volumes of Schengen visa applications and maintaining high approval rates. Nordic and some Central European countries, by contrast, appear far more cautious. Estonia, Denmark and Sweden, for instance, rejected between 20 and 32 percent of applicants.
“Southern Europe plays the role of gatekeeper with relative leniency. The North, by contrast, maintains a colder grip”
Visa Applications as a Share of Population (2024)
| Country | Applications | Population (m) | % of Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malta | 45,578 | 0.54 | 8.45 % |
| Greece | 710,024 | 10.3 | 6.89 % |
| Spain | 1,634,887 | 47.8 | 3.42 % |
| Hungary | 251,364 | 9.6 | 2.62 % |
| Italy | 1,233,316 | 58.9 | 2.09 % |
| Portugal | 206,420 | 10.2 | 2.02 % |
| Poland | 111,538 | 38.0 | 0.29 % |
Malta’s high figure is partly due to its size, but Greece’s near-7 percent share of its population is notable and signals its outsized role as a Schengen entry point. Spain, Italy, and Portugal handle substantial volumes, whereas Poland and Hungary lag behind on a per-capita basis.
Visa Approval Rates by Country (2024)
| Country | Visa Approval Rate |
|---|---|
| Australia (residents applying to Greece) | 99.3% |
| Greece | 86.8% |
| Italy | 89.1% |
| Portugal | 88.7% |
| Hungary | 87.2% |
| Spain | 84.3% |
| Poland | 82.8% |
| Denmark | ~78.8% |
| Sweden | ~76.0% |
| Estonia | ~68.0% |
The figures suggest a regional pattern. Southern European states are, by and large, more generous in their visa approvals. Nordic and Baltic countries exhibit a more restrictive approach, with Estonia emerging as the most selective in the bloc.
Mobility, Politics, and Perception
Beyond the numbers lies a story of selective openness. Applicants from wealthy Western countries – such as Australia, Canada, and Singapore – enjoy near-universal approval rates. Meanwhile, nationals from Pakistan, Congo, and Nigeria face consistent rejection, regardless of application volume or intent. These disparities reveal implicit value judgments embedded within consular procedures, shaped by concerns over overstays, asylum claims, or security risks.
Greece, for instance, received over 710,000 applications in 2024 – over 40 percent of which came from Turkish nationals. Yet while it approved most applications from Western countries at near-perfect rates, Pakistani applicants were rejected nearly 70 percent of the time.
A Continent of Uneven Access
Schengen was built on the promise of free movement, but external entry depends heavily on internal discretion. Southern Europe plays the role of gatekeeper with relative leniency. The North, by contrast, maintains a colder grip.
For applicants, the message is clear: mobility is not simply a matter of law, but of geography, privilege – and luck.
