In 2024, Russians applied for a Schengen visa more than 600,000 times. Consulates of three European countries in Moscow accounted for 64% of the requests. Which countries were more likely to issue multiple-entry visas, and which were more likely to be refused in Schengen, Vestnik ATOR studied.
The European Commission has published an annual summary report on visas issued by the countries of the Schengen area in 2024. According to statistics, in 2024, Russians submitted over 606.6 thousand applications for a Schengen visa (+16.5% by 2023).
As a result, consulates of the Schengen area countries issued 541.8 thousand visas to Russians (+20.7% by 2023), including almost 224 thousand multiple-entry visas. At the same time, the share of multiple-entry visas decreased from 49.2% in 2023 to 41.3% in 2024, Vestnik ATOR estimated.
Russians most often received visas in Moscow: the TOP 5 in terms of the number of applications submitted in 2024 included the consulates of Italy, France, Spain, Greece and Germany in the capital. In total, these diplomatic missions received 470.3 thousand applications (77.5% of the total number).
The Italian Consulate in Moscow became the leader in the number of applications (142.2 thousand applications). The French Consulate received 5.4% fewer applications (134.9 thousand), 111 thousand applications were submitted to the Spanish Consulate in Moscow. In 2024, the Italian diplomatic mission issued 135.5 thousand visas in the Moscow consular district, the French – almost 124 thousand visas, the Spanish – 98.1 thousand visas.
Outside of Moscow, travelers most often applied for a Schengen visa in St. Petersburg to the consulates of Italy (19.2 thousand applications) and Spain (14.5 thousand applications), as well as in Novorossiysk to the Consulate of Greece (5.3 thousand applications).
Russians least of all sought "Schengen happiness" in the consulates of Norway, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia.
Italians issue more multiple–entry visas, Spaniards issue more single-entry visas.
Italy has confirmed its status as one of the most loyal countries in issuing Schengen visas to Russians: the share of refusals in the Moscow consular district was only 4.3% compared to 5.4% in 2023. According to statistics, 76% of the visas issued by the Italian Consulate in Moscow turned out to be multiple-entry. However, compared to 2023, their share decreased to 80.9%.
The French consulate in Moscow was not so generous: only one in three visas (32.6%) turned out to be multiple-entry. In 2023, this percentage was higher (37.5%). Only 7.1% of applicants were refused a French visa. The failure rate decreased compared to 2023 (8.7%).
The Spanish Consulate in Moscow rejected 8.5% of applications in 2024, which means it refused almost twice as often as in 2023 (14.5%). At the same time, the share of multiple-entry visas for Spaniards is several times less than for Italians and French: only 8%. However, in 2023, this figure was even lower (only 5.3%).
The Greek Consulate in Moscow refused a visa in 13% of cases, while 36% of the visas turned out to be multiple-entry. The German Consulate rejected 5.5% of the applications, but in most cases issued only single-entry visas (93%).
Of the consulates of the Schengen area countries that issue visas for tourist trips, the Hungarian one is still loyal to Russians: the consulate of this country in Moscow rejected 10.7% of applications, issuing almost 14.4 thousand visas, of which about 37% turned out to be multiple-entry.
The Bulgarian Consulate in Moscow refused a visa to 5% of applicants (7.8 thousand visas were issued), while only 5.5% of tourists in the capital did not receive the Croatian Schengen (about 1.6 thousand visas were issued).
Luxembourg surprised by low percentage of visa refusals
Luxembourg has very few refusals (only 2.7%) and Romania (2.6%). However, last year only 952 Russians were interested in the Luxembourg Schengen, and 82 people applied for a visa to Romania.
Luxembourg has one of the highest rates of multiple-entry visas (84.9%). Switzerland also holds the bar and approves almost 95% of applications in Moscow (8.5 thousand visas were issued), of which 78% are multiple-entry. The consulates of Croatia (77.8%) and Italy (76%) have a comparable percentage of issued multiple-entry visas in Moscow.
The "preponderance" of multiple-entry visas at the Greek Consulate in Novorossiysk (64.4%), the consulates of Bulgaria in Moscow and St. Petersburg (about 60%), as well as the Hungarian Consulate in St. Petersburg (55.5%).
Malta has refused a visa to every fourth applicant.
Malta most often refused a Schengen visa to Russians: out of almost 1.1 thousand applications submitted in Moscow, one in four was rejected. The Moscow consulates of Austria (22.8%), Estonia (22.7%) and Sweden (21%) have a high refusal rate.
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