Schengen refusals, all countries

Schengen visas in United States: refusals consulate by consulate

4.9% of applications refused in 2025 — 9,194 of 187,033.

2024: 4.0% of 201,602 applications (+0.9 pts). 104 Schengen consulates active in 2025.

What the national rate hides

Fewest refusals
0.0%
Spain — San Francisco, Ca · 1,556 applications
Most refusals
20.5%
Sweden — Washington, Dc · 5,325 applications
Biggest drop since 2024
−13.9 pts
Norway — New York, Ny · 3,846 applications
Highest share of multiple-entry visas
100.0%
Italy — Detroit, Mi · 1,208 applications

Ranking based on consulates with at least 1,000 applications: below that, a handful of files moves the rate. The largest consulate by volume is France — Washington, Dc, with 54,021 applications.

Every consulate, fewest to most refusals

Schengen visa refusal rate by consulate, United States, 2025 and 2024
ConsulateApplications 2025Refused 20252024ChangeMultiple entry
Spain — San Francisco, Ca1,5560.0%0.0%0.0 pts14.6%
Spain — Los Angeles, Ca2,2710.0%0.0%0.0 pts3.9%
Netherlands — Miami, Fl2,0150.2%1.1%−0.9 pts98.5%
Netherlands — San Francisco, Ca4,9120.4%1.2%−0.8 pts98.4%
Greece — Washington, Dc1,3470.4%2.5%−2.1 pts50.8%
Netherlands — Washington, Dc1,4430.5%1.5%−1.0 pts97.6%
Greece — New York, Ny1,5310.5%0.1%+0.5 pts68.2%
Italy — Boston, Ma1,8330.5%0.6%−0.1 pts30.3%
Switzerland — Atlanta, Ga1,6550.6%0.4%+0.2 pts99.8%
Italy — Philadelphia, Pa1,5360.7%0.2%+0.5 pts99.9%
Netherlands — New York, Ny3,4970.8%1.4%−0.6 pts96.5%
Switzerland — Washington, Dc1,0700.8%0.6%+0.3 pts99.8%
Germany — San Francisco, Ca4,8700.9%1.1%−0.2 pts99.9%
Netherlands — Chicago, Il1,2561.0%——98.2%
Italy — San Francisco, Ca1,1981.0%0.7%+0.3 pts99.9%
Spain — Houston, Tx2,4571.1%0.2%+0.9 pts12.8%
Italy — Miami, Fl1,0191.3%2.5%−1.3 pts32.9%
Italy — Detroit, Mi1,2081.3%0.5%+0.8 pts100.0%
Spain — Washington, Dc2,3411.4%0.6%+0.7 pts21.3%
Spain — Miami, Fl6,2141.4%0.7%+0.8 pts21.6%
Spain — Chicago, Il2,2951.5%0.0%+1.4 pts7.5%
Switzerland — New York, Ny3,4261.7%1.7%0.0 pts99.6%
Germany — New York, Ny4,9921.9%1.6%+0.3 pts99.8%
Germany — Los Angeles, Ca2,6252.2%3.8%−1.7 pts99.1%
Germany — Chicago, Il2,7272.2%4.3%−2.1 pts97.9%
Austria — New York, Ny1,6562.3%2.5%−0.2 pts97.3%
Italy — New York, Ny3,4842.4%1.0%+1.4 pts66.7%
Italy — Chicago, Il1,0622.4%0.5%+1.9 pts27.9%
Norway — New York, Ny3,8463.3%17.1%−13.9 pts35.1%
France — Washington, Dc54,0214.2%3.1%+1.1 pts25.0%
Germany — Boston, Ma2,0984.9%1.9%+2.9 pts71.9%
Finland — New York, Ny1,1035.2%——23.6%
Austria — Los Angeles, Ca1,1795.4%9.6%−4.2 pts53.0%
Germany — Washington, Dc1,3725.8%3.1%+2.7 pts98.7%
Portugal — Boston, Ma1,0936.6%0.2%+6.4 pts86.2%
Germany — Houston, Tx1,9848.2%5.8%+2.4 pts79.9%
Germany — Atlanta, Ga1,5358.7%3.5%+5.2 pts98.8%
Iceland — Washington, Dc7,6889.2%5.6%+3.6 pts93.6%
Switzerland — San Francisco, Ca3,4389.7%6.4%+3.3 pts99.9%
Belgium — New York, Ny1,23213.0%4.1%+8.9 pts23.4%
Denmark — New York, Ny4,75814.9%9.7%+5.1 pts30.9%
Spain — New York, Ny6,91919.1%14.7%+4.5 pts2.0%
Sweden — Washington, Dc5,32520.5%18.1%+2.4 pts19.8%

Under 1,000 applications — rates not significant

ConsulateApplications 2025Refused 20252024ChangeMultiple entry
Portugal — San Francisco, Ca9704.8%0.1%+4.8 pts59.7%
Spain — Boston, Ma9514.9%0.1%+4.8 pts0.1%
Portugal — Washington, Dc9314.2%1.2%+3.0 pts57.7%
Germany — Miami, Fl91915.7%16.6%−0.9 pts87.9%
Italy — Houston, Tx8972.2%2.5%−0.2 pts62.9%
Portugal — Newark, Nj8684.4%0.1%+4.2 pts59.5%
Portugal — New York, Ny7581.7%1.3%+0.4 pts60.3%
Italy — Washington, Dc7530.4%0.2%+0.2 pts57.3%
Austria — Washington, Dc7505.7%6.4%−0.7 pts61.3%
Lithuania — Chicago, Il7447.0%7.0%0.0 pts17.6%
Greece — Chicago, Il7060.4%1.1%−0.7 pts48.5%
Greece — Houston, Tx6420.0%0.1%−0.1 pts98.9%
Greece — San Francisco, Ca6270.0%0.0%0.0 pts46.1%
Belgium — Atlanta, Ga6022.4%0.6%+1.8 pts15.6%
Belgium — Washington, Dc57512.8%7.3%+5.6 pts19.0%
Belgium — Los Angeles, Ca5681.3%1.3%0.0 pts21.7%
Italy — Los Angeles, Ca5661.6%0.3%+1.3 pts37.0%
Greece — Boston, Ma5560.0%0.2%−0.2 pts98.4%
Poland — New York, Ny5261.7%1.8%−0.1 pts43.9%
Finland — Los Angeles, Ca44624.1%——19.0%
Croatia — New York, Ny4341.9%1.3%+0.6 pts63.0%
Greece — Los Angeles, Ca4050.5%0.5%0.0 pts62.7%
Slovenia — Washington, Dc39519.2%21.5%−2.3 pts56.2%
Poland — Los Angeles, Ca3759.0%0.3%+8.7 pts32.0%
Czech Republic — New York, Ny3374.2%1.9%+2.3 pts17.6%
Greece — Tampa, Fl3350.6%0.3%+0.3 pts69.2%
Czech Republic — Washington, Dc3150.3%0.0%+0.3 pts36.9%
Portugal — New Bedford, Ma3056.9%0.3%+6.6 pts14.1%
Czech Republic — Los Angeles, Ca3001.3%0.4%+0.9 pts8.1%
Croatia — Los Angeles, Ca2794.9%1.0%+4.0 pts77.3%
Bulgaria — Washington, Dc2670.8%0.3%+0.4 pts74.1%
Poland — Houston, Tx2551.6%1.2%+0.3 pts64.9%
Poland — Washington, Dc2480.8%3.1%−2.2 pts41.6%
Hungary — Washington, Dc2432.5%5.8%−3.3 pts65.0%
Hungary — Los Angeles, Ca2350.9%1.5%−0.6 pts25.8%
Hungary — New York, Ny2291.8%1.0%+0.7 pts31.7%
Spain — San Juan, Pr2070.0%——13.7%
Poland — Chicago, Il20314.4%8.5%+5.8 pts12.7%
Estonia — Washington, Dc19542.1%57.8%−15.8 pts16.8%
Greece — Atlanta, Ga1812.2%2.6%−0.3 pts44.7%
Hungary — Chicago, Il1561.9%0.5%+1.5 pts29.6%
Luxembourg — New York, Ny1536.5%11.6%−5.0 pts63.6%
Czech Republic — Chicago, Il1505.3%2.3%+3.0 pts23.9%
Bulgaria — Los Angeles, Ca1250.8%0.5%+0.4 pts39.3%
Croatia — Chicago, Il1240.8%0.0%+0.8 pts97.6%
Latvia — Washington, Dc12016.0%24.1%−8.2 pts38.4%
Croatia — Washington, Dc1071.0%0.9%+0.1 pts67.6%
Bulgaria — New York, Ny991.1%5.9%−4.8 pts32.6%
Romania — Los Angeles, Ca9918.2%2.0%+16.2 pts12.3%
Slovakia — Washington, Dc994.0%2.2%+1.8 pts16.8%
Romania — New York, Ny874.6%1.3%+3.3 pts39.8%
Luxembourg — San Francisco, Ca800.0%0.0%0.0 pts46.8%
Malta — Washington, Dc7218.3%0.0%+18.3 pts8.6%
Luxembourg — Washington, Dc714.3%1.1%+3.2 pts77.3%
Romania — Miami, Fl6416.4%8.9%+7.4 pts2.2%
Romania — Washington, Dc600.0%0.0%0.0 pts58.3%
Bulgaria — Chicago, Il450.0%2.5%−2.5 pts65.9%
Malta — New York, Ny420.0%0.0%0.0 pts52.4%
Romania — Chicago, Il378.1%3.6%+4.5 pts50.0%
Slovenia — Cleveland, Oh3114.3%4.8%+9.5 pts50.0%
Slovakia — New York, Ny270.0%0.0%0.0 pts30.8%

Before choosing a consulate

You do not pick your consulate. The Visa Code (Article 5) designates the one of your main destination — or of the first country of entry if no destination dominates. Applying "where refusals are lower" for a trip elsewhere is itself a ground for refusal.

A low rate is not leniency: it also reflects who applies. A consulate that mostly receives seasoned business travellers refuses less than one receiving first-time applicants. The rate shows where files fail most often — a reason to prepare yours carefully, not to change address.

Visa refused? The 15 grounds on the refusal form, and how to appeal in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium (in French)

Where to go visa-free with a US passport

Source: Commission européenne — Visa statistics for consulates, 2025 and 2024 editions, published 2026-05-28. Uniform short-stay visas; the rate is the Commission's: refusals / (issued + limited territorial validity visas + refusals).