In 2024, millions of dollars in visa fees were lost due to persistently high rejection rates among African applicants, who faced significantly greater hurdles compared to other regions.
More than 25,000 Schengen visa applications from Ghana were denied last year, leading to over $2 million in lost application fees. The Schengen zone includes 29 European countries such as France, Italy, Germany, and Finland.
According to data from the LAGO Collective, a migration and culture research group, nine out of thirteen countries with Schengen visa rejection rates at or above 40% were African nations—up from seven in 2023.
Omo Adu Danso, a systems engineer in Accra, Ghana, saw his plans to visit Europe dashed after his Schengen visa was rejected. “They said some documents I submitted couldn’t be properly verified,” Danso said. “They questioned the reliability of my information, which I took to mean they doubted I’d return to Ghana after my visa expired.”
West African countries bore a large share of rejections. Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau all had rejection rates above 40%. Comoros had the highest rejection rate at nearly 63%, with only about a third of applicants granted visas. Burundi and the Republic of Congo also recorded high refusal rates. Collectively, embassies collected roughly $14 million in rejected visa fees from these countries.
Meanwhile, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt had lower rejection rates—below 40%—but their visa fee losses exceeded $34 million. Marta Foresti, founder of the LAGO Collective, noted, “The poorest countries are paying the richest countries not to be allowed entry. The poorer the country, the higher the rejection rate.”
In 2024, Nigeria and Ghana alone generated around £10 million ($13.5 million) from refused UK visa applications, accounting for over 40% of applications from these countries. Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt added another £3.5 million ($4.7 million), with refusal rates ranging from 23% in Egypt to 52% in Algeria.
For decades, Africans have faced barriers obtaining travel permissions, even when financially and legally qualified. Visa issues also complicate travel within Africa. South Africa ranks highest on the Henley Passport Index among African nations, placed 50th globally, while other African passports fall lower, reflecting more restrictive travel conditions.
“The distrust comes from a widespread fear that some will overstay visas and try to escape,” said Imokhai-Bello, publisher of The Benchmark magazine, who was herself denied a Schengen visa despite legitimate business travel. She described a taxing application process involving embassy errands, urgent document preparation, high non-refundable fees, and a perception that a lack of prior visa stamps reduces approval chances.
Honour Aghedo, a music company project manager who recently secured a Schengen visa, credited his success to “building my travel history” by visiting several West African countries and Ethiopia, which boosted his confidence during the application process.
While southern African countries like Zimbabwe (16%), South Africa (5%), and Mozambique (8%) had lower rejection rates, Africa’s overall visa refusal rate remains well above the global average of 18%.
Danso hopes to reapply soon. “I’m thinking of applying again this summer to visit friends in Europe. Over the past year, I’ve traveled to Nigeria, Benin, and Rwanda. I hope this improves my chances. I just don’t want to waste money on another rejection.”
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