EU countries raked in €157.1m last year in application fees for visitor visas that were ultimately rejected, according to new data published on Monday (8 June).
The findings released by the LAGO Collective, an NGO, are based on European Commission data from across the EU-27 in 2025. Rejected short stay visitor visa applications amounted to €157.1m, up from €145.1m in 2024 and €130m in 2023.
The highest rejection rates are from Bangladesh (54.5 percent), Senegal (51.9 percent), Nigeria (47.8 percent), Pakistan (46 percent) and Angola at 45.4 percent
Angola’s rejection costs rose 177 percent, from €1m in 2024 to €2.9 million, the steepest increase of any country in the dataset.
Marta Foresti, the founder of LAGO Collective, described the Schengen application process as a “visa regime that functions as a tax on tourism, business, trade and aspirations.”
‘Reverse remittances’
The practice, which has been dubbed “reverse remittances”, is a source of anger across many developing countries, particularly in Africa, which accounted for 42 percent of the lost application fees despite the continent being responsible for 24 percent of applicants.
The EU Commission now charges €90 visa application fee for adults to travel to the EU, up from €80 in 2024. The fees are non-refundable, regardless of the outcome.