France or Germany: Which Country’s Schengen Visa is Preferred by Foreign Nationals?

Key Takeaways

1. France and Germany are among the most sought-after countries for Schengen visa applications each year.
2. France has a visa approval rate of 82.6%, while Germany approved 84.5% of its applications in 2023.
3. Despite France receiving more applications, Germany maintains a slightly higher approval rate.

France and Germany consistently rank as the top destinations for Schengen visa applications. In 2023, France led with 2.6 million applications, while Germany processed 1.4 million, according to Schengen Visa Info data.

Although France remains the top destination for many, it’s not the preferred choice for all nationalities. Here’s a breakdown of visa preferences based on the 2023 application data for both countries.

France: Preferred by These 3 Nationalities

In 2023, France issued 2.1 million visas, with 36.5% of them being multiple-entry visas (MEVs). However, it also had a rejection rate of 16.7%, equivalent to 436,893 applications. The top three nationalities that preferred France over Germany are:

• China: About 25% of Schengen visa applications from Chinese nationals were for France, with a total of 1.1 million applications submitted to Schengen countries.
• Morocco: Moroccans filed 591,401 visa applications in 2023, of which 52.4% (310,057) were for France.
• Algeria: Algerians submitted 279,005 applications to France, accounting for 58.8% of their total Schengen applications. Spain was the second-most preferred destination for Algerians.

Germany: Favored by These 3 Nationalities

Germany received 1.4 million visa applications in 2023, with a 14.3% rejection rate. The following nationalities applied most frequently for German visas:

• Egypt: Egyptian nationals submitted 46,991 visa applications to Germany in 2023, representing 24.9% of their total Schengen visa requests.
• Belarus: Belarusian applicants filed 163,979 Schengen visa applications in total, with 31.8% (52,301) directed to Germany.
• Kosovo: In 2023, Kosovar nationals submitted 64,965 visa applications to Germany, making up 53.8% of their total applications. Switzerland was their second choice, with 33,255 applications.

Overall, France and Germany remain the primary destinations for Schengen visa applicants, though Germany maintains a slightly lower rejection rate (14.3% compared to France's 16.7%) despite receiving fewer applications.