Top 5 Nationalities With The Most Schengen Visa Applications

August 6, 2025

Europe has always been the top destination among travellers globally. The fascinating Schengen countries, with their rich history, cultures, food, festivals, business opportunities, and standard of living, always attract travelers. Every year, millions of travelers globally apply for a Schengen visa and explore the Schengen countries and fulfill their purposes. In the list of popular tourist destinations such as Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Netherlands are the top 5 nationalities with the most Schengen Visa Applications.

So, what are the reasons for these countries to always be top? Which country has the most visa applications? Which Schengen country gives visas easily? Their visa approval rates or interesting festival history or attractive historical places, the world-class hospitality, and the best business and trade market for easy transportation.

This guide will answer this question and explain all the reasons with data. Additionally, it will explain about the nationals who apply for the Schengen visa mostly.

Which are the popular nationalities that apply for the Schengen visa mostly in recent years?

According to recent data, these are the 5 Nationalities with the most Schengen Visa Applications:

• China: 1,779,255
• Turkiye: 1,173,917
• India: 1,108,239
• Morocco: 606,594
• Russia: 544,634

These nationalities apply for a Schengen visa more than other nationalities, and the number of visa applications is continuously increasing annually.

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What is a Schengen country, and why do travelers globally visit them?

The Schengen area is a zone of 29 European countries, a zone of free movement where internal border controls have been abolished. This unique and beneficial system promotes easy travel and economic and cultural exchange across Europe. And feel like moving between states within a single nation.

These popular Schengen destinations are popular among tourists, business travelers, family visitors, and students, and are counted among the 5 nationalities with the most Schengen Visa applications. Travelers visit these countries due to easy cross-border movement with a single visa (should be related to the visiting purpose). In addition, the tourists get easy access to cultures, historical places, and the best career opportunities.

Below are the following reasons for visiting Schengen countries most.

• Ease of Travel with a single visa
• Diverse Experiences of the country
• Economic Opportunities and family visit

Which Schengen countries are the most popular destinations for travelers globally?

Below are the most visited Schengen countries visited by travelers.

Nationalities’s Name	Schengen Countries’ Name	Visa Application
China	Italy France Germany Spain Switzerland	227,293 450,000 263,088 254,571 217,000
Turkey	Germany France Italy Netherlands	215,506 151,640 117,432 97,006
India	Switzerland France, Germany, Spain Netherlands	217,000 198,000 142,000 97,000 91,003
Morocco	France Spain	282,153 216,985
Russia	Spain France Italy	111,187 123,890 161,401

So, according to this data, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are the most popular destinations for these five Nationalities. Why do these countries have a high number of visa applications? What are the approval rates? Below is the answer to this question.

**France is the top Schengen country which receives the most visa applications almost 2.6 millions annually.

What are the approval rates for these countries?
Italy! France! Germany! Spain! Netherlands! Switzerland!

The five Schengen countries named Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands, are popular worldwide and receive a huge number of visa applications annually. In this high visa application list, China, Turkey, India, Morocco, and Russia, are the top 5 nationalities with the most Schengen Visa applications

Here are the approximate approval rates for these Schengen countries according to the data:

• Italy: 88.69%
• France: 83.63%
• Germany: 88.70%
• Spain: 83.13%
• Netherlands: 83.21%
• Switzerland: 87.94%

As can be seen that these countries have a good visa approval rate, and due to this, getting a Schengen visa will become easy for travelers. These countries process Schengen visas fastest. It can be said that this is also a big reason for the high visa demand of these Schengen countries.

Now, if you are also from these nationalities and planning a trip to any of these five Schengen countries, and want to know about their visa process, checklist, and appointment booking. Click on your dream Schengen country and get all the information.

**Switzerland is one of the Schengen countries with the easiest visa application process.

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What are the reasons for the high volume of Schengen applications from specific countries?

The following are the reasons for the high volume of Schengen applications for these five countries.

• Tourism and Leisure appeal: The diverse culture, alluring landscapes, and attractive historical places of Europe’s different countries invite travelers globally. The Chinese and Turkish especially select these countries to know more about their roots, history, and luxury shopping markets, and admire the Mediterranean coast. Due to this cultural immersion, these Schengen countries are the top in visa demand.

• Business and Professional Opportunities: European countries like the Netherlands, France, and Germany are the top economic, growing, and innovative places. They have business expansion in sectors like renewable energy, technology, manufacturing, and logistics. Due to these reasons, Indian, Turkish, and Chinese entrepreneurs and office workers visit these countries the most for partnerships and to make strong economic ties.

• Education and Career Exposure: The Chinese, Turkish, and Indian students, due to limited study and research options, grab the visa for the Netherlands, France, and Germany. These three countries have world-class institutions, post-study work options, and great career opportunities. Also, the scholarship options here attract students from these specific countries.

• Cultural Attractions and Family Visits: Due to the tourism, business, and education exposures, plenty of Turkish, Moroccan, Indian, and Chinese people live in these five countries with valid residency. Some do a job, and some secure a green card and become legal members. So, their family members visit them occasionally on festivals and trips. This is also the reason for the high visa demand of these five Schengen countries.

• Streamlined access to multiple destinations: As per the Schengen agreement and visa-free rule, a Schengen visa have the allowance of travel across 28 European countries with a single permit. Due to this benefit, China, Turkiye, India, Morocco, and Russia, travelers plan their multiple travel journeys in the Schengen zones. This is also a big reason for the high demand for the Netherlands, France, and Germany visas.

**Italy, with its 88.69% visa success rate counted as the easiest Schengen country to travel to for Indians and Chinese.

The requirements for the Schengen visa for these countries?

All these top 5 nationalities with the most Schengen Visa applications require a visa before visiting any Schengen country. To apply for a visa, a traveler must meet the visa requirements set by the Schengen zone:

• A completed visa application form related to the specific Schengen country
• A valid visa related to nationality
• 2 recent passport-size photos
• Proof of Accommodation
• The latest three months’ bank statements
• A travel itinerary
• Valid Travel Health Insurance
• Proof of financial funds to cover the country trip
• A cover letter explaining the reason
• Additional documents according to the required Schengen visa

So, these are all the general required documents for the Schengen visa you have to submit during your visa interview. But like this, you have to submit some additional documents too, according to your Schengen visa types (e.g., Tourist, spouse, and Business) of a specific country.

So, to know more about the visa requirements and other visa information, you can click on the country mentioned above. And visit the site, explaining everything about the visa procedure with express Schengen visa appointment booking services.

Also check, 7 Non-Schengen Countries you can visit with a Schengen Visa

Conclusion

In the final thought, China, Turkiye, India, Morocco, and Russia are the top 5 nationalities with the most Schengen Visa applications that apply for the most Schengen countries, such as Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. These countries have outstanding study opportunities, tourism places, business ties options, commerce exposure, and cultural activities. Due to these, the Schengen countries are popular worldwide, especially among these five.

So, if you are a citizen from these five countries and planning a trip and thinking about the career and business ties with these Schengen countries, then confidently apply for your visa (specific country) at SCHENGEN TRAVEL INFO for a smooth and fast visa experience.

To start a Schengen journey with confidence: APPLY HERE!

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