These Nationalities Face the Greatest Challenges in Obtaining a Polish Visa
Key Insights:
- Polish authorities rejected 18,564 visa applications in 2023.
- Angolan applicants faced the highest rejection rate in proportion to applications submitted.
- Belarusian nationals had the highest overall number of rejected visa applications.
Certain Nationalities Struggle Most with Polish Visa Approvals
Poland remains a favored European destination, attracting numerous visa applicants from third countries.
In 2023, Poland processed 124,057 visa applications, with an approval rate of 85%, according to Schengen.News. Despite this high success rate, some nationalities encountered significantly more rejections than others. Below is an overview of the countries whose citizens faced the greatest difficulties in obtaining a Polish visa.
Top 5 Countries with the Highest Polish Visa Rejection Rates in 2023
Angola had the highest visa rejection rate among all applicant countries. Of the total applications submitted by Angolan nationals, 65.63% were denied—equating to 529 rejections and only 276 approvals. Furthermore, only 6.33% of approved visas were multiple-entry (MEVs), reflecting stricter scrutiny.
Syria followed closely, ranking second in rejection rates. Out of 308 visa applications filed by Syrian nationals, 60.71% (187 applications) were denied.
Ethiopian, Peruvian, and Brazilian nationals also encountered high rejection rates. Ethiopia saw a 54.98% visa rejection rate in 2023, with 331 applications denied compared to 271 approved.
Similarly, Peruvian nationals faced a 51.35% rejection rate, with 38 out of 74 applications denied. Brazil had a lower application volume, with 10 visa applications submitted, of which 50% were rejected. While Brazilian passport holders enjoy Schengen visa exemption, foreign residents in Brazil still need visas to enter Poland.
Nationalities with the Highest Number of Visa Rejections
While rejection rates were highest for the aforementioned countries, a different set of nationalities recorded the highest absolute number of rejections, largely due to the sheer volume of applications submitted.
In 2023, Belarusian nationals had the most visa rejections, with 4,097 applications denied—11.52% of the 35,550 applications submitted.
India ranked second, with 2,288 out of 11,954 applications rejected, followed by China, where 1,974 out of 13,663 applications were denied.
Other nationalities facing high rejection numbers included Algeria (1,325 out of 3,183 applications rejected) and Turkey (1,270 out of 9,510 applications rejected, or 13.35%).
These figures highlight how certain nationalities face more challenges in obtaining a Polish visa, whether due to stricter vetting, increased scrutiny, or other regulatory factors.