Why are Indian travellers facing higher Schengen visa rejection rates despite being the 3rd largest applicant nation?

Europe's visa system processed nearly 12 million applications in 2025, but Indian travellers contend with above-average refusal rates despite ranking as world's third-largest applicant nation. The Schengen visa landscape reveals a patchy recovery, particularly disadvantaging Indian applicants, who face more rejections than the international average. This volatility breeds uncertainty for both travellers and the tourism industry at large. ETTravelWorld deep dives into the data pool to find India's point of view.