Bulgaria issued more than 96 000 Schengen visas in 2024

Bulgaria issued 96 142 Schengen visas in 2024, the European Commission (EC) said in figures published on May 20 2025.

The air and sea ports of Bulgaria and Romania were included in the Schengen visa zone at the end of March 2024, and from that point began issuing Schengen visas. The two countries were fully admitted to Schengen as of January 1 2025, with the inclusion of their land borders.

The EC said that the total number of Schengen visas issued by Bulgaria in 2024 includes 52 417 multiple-entry visas.

Seventy-four of the visas were issued at Bulgarian border checkpoints.

According to the EC, Bulgaria issued 21 842 long-term Schengen visas last year.

The EC figures show that in 2024, the consulates of EU countries and Schengen associated countries received more than 11.7 million applications for short-stay visas.

This is a 13.6 per cent increase compared to 2023 (10.3 million) and a 56 per cent increase compared to 2022 (7.5 million). However, it is still lower than the number of applications in 2019 (17 million) before the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 9.7 million visas were issued in 2024 which is a 14.1 per cent increase compared to 2023 (8.5 million) but still lower than in 2019 (15 million).

Countries with the highest number of visa applications to the EU and Schengen associated countries were:

• China: 1 779 255 in 2024 (1 117 365 in 2023)
• Türkiye: 1 173 917 (1 055 885 in 2023)
• India: 1 108 239 (966 687 in 2023)
• Morocco: 606 800 (591 401 in 2023)
• Russia: 606 594 (520 387 in 2023)

The percentage of visa applications that were refused worldwide slightly declined compared to 2023: 14.8 per cent (in 2023 16 per cent of all visa applications were refused, while in 2022 17.9 per cent).

However, in 2024 the refusal rates presented variations and in certain countries differences compared to 2023, for example in Russia 7.5 per cent (2024) vs 10.6 per cent (2023), in Türkiye 14.5 per cent (2024) vs 16.1 per cent (2023), in Iran 26 per cent (2024) vs 30.3 per cent (2023), in Mauritania 32.5 per cent (2024) vs 36.6 per cent (2023), in Cape Verde 13.4 per cent (2024) vs 24 per cent (2023), in Syria 27 per cent (2024) vs 46 per cent (2023), in Nigeria 45.9 per cent (2024) vs 40.8 per cent (2023), in Ecuador 29.6 per cent (2024) vs 24.4 per cent (2023), in Senegal 46.8 per cent (2024) vs 42.1 per cent (2023), in Bangladesh 54.9 per cent (2024) vs 43.3 per cent (2023), in Congo (Brazzaville) 43 per cent (2024) vs 35.3 per cent (2023).

More than half of the 9.7 million visas issued in 2024 allowed for multiple entries into the Schengen area.

In addition to the 9.7 million visas issued abroad, the Schengen countries also issued 85 119 uniform visas directly at the external borders. 

(Photo: Sofia Airport)