Italian Schengen visas hard to come by for African nationalities
Seven out of 10 nationalities from the Africa are reportedly struggling to attain Schengen visas from Italy. Is SA part of that list?
African nationalities can’t get approved Schengen visas
Italy is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, and while many can say they have been to this EU nation, several African nationalities can safely say they haven’t and are struggling to. This is because of a very high rejection rate of Italian Schengen visas for citizens of African nations.
According to Schengen News, applicants from several African and Asian countries are less likely to be granted a Schengen visa by Italy, as rejection rates are higher than the average of 87.55 per cent.
The number one nationality that was rejected for Italian Schengen visas was Bangladeshi nationals.
The data revealed that 13 705 visa applications were received from Bangladeshi nationals in 2023, 5 599 (40.85 per cent) of which were approved and 8 092 (59.04 per cent) were rejected.
Seven out of 10 from Africa
Apart from Bangladeshis, African nationalities made up most of the top ten nationalities that have it difficult to obtain an Italian visa, based on their rejection rates. These were:
| Rank | Nationality | Rejection rate |
| 1 | Bangladeshis | 59.04 per cent |
| 2 | Gabonese | 45.18 per cent |
| 3 | Sinhalese / Sri Lankans | 44.43 per cent |
| 4 | Ghanaians | 44.29 per cent |
| 5 | Dominicans | 43.7 per cent |
| 6 | Ivorians | 43.7 per cent |
| 7 | Angolans | 41 per cent |
| 8 | Algerians | 39.92 per cent |
| 9 | Cameroonians | 38.66 per cent |
| 10 | Sudanese | 38.63 per cent |
Africans demand refunds for Schengen visa rejections
In related news, several African nations recently complained of the high Schengen visa rejection rates, with Moroccans even demanding refunds.
According to reports, the Moroccan government is under pressure to request the refund of expenses for Schengen visa application rejections that have earned the EU €10,9 million (R211 million) in 2023.
The issue has also reportedly become a political one, with Moroccan MPs pushing the government to demand refunds for Schengen visa applications that were rejected.
As per data from Schengen.News, Morocco is currently the fourth most-rejected nationality for Schengen visas, for which an application costs citizens a quarter of the annual national wage in Morocco.
The data also shows that the EU collected €56,3 million (R1,1 billion) from rejected visa applications from African countries in 2023, €776 880 (R15,7 million) of which was from South Africa alone.