Summer holidays in Europe have started since early April for many passionate swimmers and sea-and-sand lovers who do not mind the chilly waters and beach breeze, in particular for those who do not need a visa and can always plan a last-minute vacation to any of the seaside Schengen Area countries.

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However, for the nationals of the majority of world countries, planning a last-minute vacation to Europe is not a possible scenario, SchengenNews reports.

The process of applying for a Schengen visa alone, should start a few weeks before a planned trip to one of the Schengen states, which period depends on the nearest slots available for visa appointments at the embassy or visa centre representing the same Member State in the applicant’s home country.

According to Besart Bajrami, founder of SchengenNews, sometimes, even making an appointment can take months.

In third countries with a high volume of Schengen visa applications, getting a visa appointment can take quite some time, in some cases even months. Once the appointment is made, travellers have to wait a few weeks to attend it, and then around two or three weeks to get their passports back, hopefully with a positive response.

Given that the European summers do not end with August, and they are usually stretched throughout September, early October, and for those who love an early fall swim, even late October.

These 10 Countries Are Your Best Chance to Get a Schengen Visa for the Upcoming

Data by Schengen Visa Statistics for 2023 show that while some countries are more inclined to reject a larger share of visa applications they receive, there are others, which tend to reject fewer visas. Filing an application to visit one of the latter, means an applicant has higher chances of getting a visa.

According to the numbers, the top ten easiest Schengen visas to obtain for summer 2024 are as follows:

1. Iceland with only a 2.2 per cent rejection rate
2. Switzerland – 10.7 per cent
3. Latvia – 11.7 per cent
4. Italy – 12 per cent
5. Luxembourg – 12.7 per cent
6. Lithuania – 12.8 per cent
7. Slovakia – 12.9 per cent
8. Germany – 14.3 per cent
9. Austria – 14.3 per cent
10. Greece – 14.7 per cent

Commenting on the issue, Bajrami notes that it is not advisable to attempt to obtain a visa for one of the countries listed above, and then visit another, because that is considered illegal by the EU, and is labeled as “visa shopping.”

If you wish to visit any of the Member States, apply for a visa at the visa centres of one of these ten countries. You can always visit other countries with that same Schengen visa, just make sure that the country issuing the visa will be your primary destination.

Avoid Applying at One of These Countries, They Have High Schengen Visa Rejection Rates

Those who want to obtain a Schengen visa this summer, and want to lower the chances of being rejected, should avoid applying at countries with a high rejection rate.

First, one should avoid applying for a Maltese Schengen visa, as this country’s consulates abroad are notorious for having a high rejection rate. In 2023, the same rejected 37.6 per cent of all applications received.

Second in the list of the world’s worst countries to apply for a Schengen visa at is Estonia, which in 2023 rejected 33.1 per cent of the applications it received, followed by Belgium with 26.5 per cent. Sweden and Croatia complete the top five, with rejection rates of 23.1 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

The average rejection rate amongst the Member States in 2023 was 54.2 per cent.