Nigeria was the fourth highest spending country in Africa in the application for the Schengen visa in 2022. The Nigerian passport grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 46 other countries
Europe is one of the top travel destinations for many Nigerians who want to see the world, for a variety of reasons, but tens of thousands spend their money on applications that end up in the bin.
A recent analysis by Schengen Visa Info noted that Nigeria was the fourth highest spending country in Africa in the application for the Schengen visa in 2022.
According to available data from the EU Commission, 86,815 applications were received for the Schengen visa from Nigeria in 2022. These applications cost a total of $344,863, according to Schengen Visa Info. 46,404 of the applications were granted, but 39,189 (45.1%) were rejected.
The Schengen Area, comprising 27 European countries, is the world’s largest passport-free travel area as visa holders can travel within member countries with no border controls.
The Schengen visa covers short-term trips whose purposes include business and family visits, tourism, cultural and sports events, short-term study and research, and medical reasons.
Other top African spenders on Schengen visa
Algeria was the top African spender on the Schengen visa as 392,053 applications racked up a staggering bill of $15.8 million. 191,187 of the applications were approved but 179,409 (45.8%) failed.
423,201 applications from Morocco totaled $10.5 million in visa expenditure, with 282,301 requests approved, and 119,346 (28.2%) rejected.
Read more: Some health benefits that come with donating blood
Finishing in third place was Tunisia with 168,346 applications that cost $430,399. The report showed that 112,411 of the applications were approved, but 48,909 (29.1%) failed.
In the order of ranking from fifth place, other African countries in the top 10 include Egypt, Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Angola, and Kenya.
According to the report, Malta, Sweden, Belgium, and France were the top four Schengen Area countries most likely to reject a visa in 2022?
Generally, common reasons for the rejection of Schengen visa applications include past or current criminal actions, false documents, passport invalidity, and insufficient proof of funds.
