In 2024, over 695,000 Schengen visa applications from across Africa were denied, resulting in more than $70-million lost in non-refundable fees. West Africans bore the brunt of these visa rejections.

A Schengen visa, which allows short stays in 29 European countries, costs €90 (about R1,800) per application and is non-refundable, even if the visa is denied.

Nigeria was hit the hardest, with 45.3% of its 111,201 applications rejected. Only 58,808 were approved – meaning Nigerians lost over $5-million in fees for unsuccessful applications.

Other West African countries followed closely:

– Senegal: $3.3-million lost

– Côte d’Ivoire: $2.6-million

– Ghana: $2.5-million

In East Africa, 28.5% of Kenyan applications were rejected, resulting in $1.9-million in lost fees.

South Africans fared far better, with just 5.6% of 193,768 applications rejected. Still, that relatively low rate translated into more than $1-million in lost fees.