In 2023, 62% of Senegalese applicants for Schengen visas to France were granted approval.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Nearly 66% of visa applications from Senegal to France were accepted in 2023.
2. Senegalese students rank as the fifth-largest nationality group in France.
3. The count of Senegalese students in France has surged by 62% over the past five years.
France issued over 28,000 visas to Senegalese citizens, signifying an approval rate of over 62% for short-stay visa applications to France in 2023.
The French ambassador to Dakar, Christine Fages, verified the information, disclosing that Senegalese nationals submitted 46,000 applications for a Schengen visa during the same year. This marks a 6.7% rise in visa applications compared to 2022.
Of all the applications, approximately two-thirds, totaling around 30,000 requests, were for short-stay visas, with the processing time for these visas ranging from two to three weeks.
France has issued a record-breaking 5,300 study visas to Senegalese students, making them the fifth-largest nationality group among international students in France.
Following Moroccans, Chinese, Algerians, and Italians, Senegalese students have emerged as one of the largest student communities in France, totaling 15,000 in all.
Over the past five years, the population of Senegalese students residing in France has surged by 62%.
Christine Fages, the French Ambassador in Senegal, confirmed these figures.
Senegalese nationals continue to face challenges in securing visa appointments, despite their significant interest in obtaining French visas. Booking visa appointments, in particular, remains problematic for them.
Helene De Bock, the Belgian ambassador, acknowledged the situation, emphasizing that efforts are being made to address it.
"We are aware of and deeply understand the difficulties encountered in securing appointments. It's important to differentiate between appointment scheduling, which is managed by an external operator, and the processing of applications," stated Helene De Bock, the Belgian Ambassador.
Furthermore, the Ambassador strongly advised Senegalese individuals against engaging with intermediaries to request visas. She noted that the monopolization of appointment slots often results in appointment wait times exceeding two months.
Ambassador De Bock added that approximately 30,000 new residence permits were issued by European Union Member States to Senegalese nationals.
In 2022, Senegalese individuals submitted a total of 56,866 visa applications, with nearly half of them, totaling 27,556, directed to French authorities. Spain (9,467) and Belgium (5,009) were also popular destinations for Senegalese nationals seeking visa applications.
Conversely, Austria, Poland, and Greece had the lowest number of applications recorded for 2022, ranging from 100 to 305.