Schengen Visa Rejection Rates for Turks Skyrocket
If you’re a Turkish citizen hoping to visit Europe, you probably already know how tough it’s getting to land a Schengen visa. But this past year, things got way more difficult. Numbers show that the rejection rate for Turkish applicants shot from just over 15% in 2022 to almost 50% in 2023. Imagine—almost half of all applications ended in disappointment. For some, that means cancelled vacations, lost business opportunities, or missing out on family moments.
This surge didn’t come out of nowhere. Only a few years ago, in 2019, nearly a million Turks tried their luck with the Schengen system, and less than 10% of those applications got turned down. Fast forward to now—rejections have more than tripled. Germany, France, Belgium, Estonia, and Finland are leading the pack with the highest refusal rates. Germany stands out for rejecting more than 1 in 5 Turkish applications. In stark contrast, Italy seems more open, with only 7% refusals.
The impact isn’t just emotional—there’s real financial pain. The paperwork piles up, the costs add up, and there’s the annoyance of knowing your chances are slim no matter how well you prepare. Turkish travelers, from businesspeople to families, often need to jump through hoops with extra documents, and even then, most are offered only single-entry or short-term visas. It’s a far cry from the long-term, multi-entry visas many of them are seeking for work, conferences, or even routine family visits.
Heated Political Backlash and Human Costs
You could feel the backlash building all year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hasn’t minced words, blasting what he calls “political blackmail” and vowing to get the restrictions eased soon. The Turkish government argues that these tough new barriers violate human rights, stressing that families, professionals, and students are being unfairly blocked from cultural, educational, and business exchanges in the EU.
On the ground, the struggle looks more practical than political. Take a business traveler from Istanbul who now faces weeks of delay and a mountain of forms, only to be handed a 5-day visa when he needs a 30-day one for an international project. Or college students repeatedly getting temporary permits just as their semester abroad is about to start. These aren’t rare stories—they’re becoming the rule, not the exception, as bureaucracy stacks up against regular Turks.
European officials argue that visa delays and high rejections are simply a response to overwhelming demand. But for applicants, it feels targeted. Many Turkish citizens point out that they hand over more documentation now than ever before—bank statements, property deeds, job letters, and school enrollments—only to find these extra steps aren’t improving their odds. Critics inside and outside Turkey worry this isn’t about paperwork or technicalities but about politics, migration fears, or diplomatic spats.
So for now, would-be Turkish travelers are left in limbo. Each rejection letter hits hard, especially for those with plans on the line. The conversation keeps growing louder—about what’s fair, what’s legal, and where the borders really lie for millions of people hoping to move freely in Europe.
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