5 Countries with the Fewest Schengen Visa Applications in 2024

Key Highlights

1. Luxembourg received the fewest Schengen visa applications in 2024.
2. The majority of applicants to these countries originated from India, Türkiye, and Russia.
3. Latvia had the highest visa approval rate, while Estonia approved the fewest applications among the countries listed.

The Schengen Area remains a highly sought-after destination for global travelers. While many visitors can travel freely within the zone, others must apply for a Schengen visa to access its renowned landmarks and vibrant cities.

Visa application volumes vary significantly across Schengen countries due to factors such as economic conditions, regional travel trends, and the attractiveness of individual European destinations.

According to SchengenVisaInfo's 2024 data, the following countries received the lowest number of Schengen visa applications:

Luxembourg

Luxembourg received just 11,227 visa applications in 2024, the lowest among all 26 Schengen countries. This accounted for only 0.1% of the total 10.3 million applications submitted across the zone.

By comparison, neighboring France received the highest number of applications at 2.6 million.
The majority of Luxembourg's visa applicants came from India, Türkiye, China, and Russia, representing 64.5% of the total.

Estonia

Estonia ranked second-lowest, with 13,190 applications in 2024. Unlike Luxembourg, Estonia had a lower approval rate of 61%, the lowest among the countries listed and second-lowest in the EU, just above Malta's 60%.

Applications mainly came from Russia, India, Türkiye, Belarus, and the UK, accounting for 70.1% of the total.

Slovakia

Slovakia received 13,468 visa applications, slightly more than Estonia. Top applicants came from Türkiye, the UAE, and India, filing 2,519, 1,678, and 1,332 applications, respectively. Egypt also contributed significantly with 1,012 applications.

Latvia

Latvia received 18,897 applications, with an impressive approval rate of 87%, ranking it third-highest among Schengen countries.
Key applicants hailed from Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, the UK, Russia, and Türkiye.

Slovenia

Slovenia processed 19,990 applications, maintaining an approval rate of 63%. The primary applicant countries were Kosovo (4,095), India (2,827), and Türkiye (2,671).

These figures highlight the diverse dynamics of visa demand and approval rates within the Schengen Zone, reflecting each country's unique appeal and policies.