Morocco Faces High Schengen Visa Rejection Rate Despite Ranking 5th Globally in Applications

Unlike the standard visa, the Schengen visa is a document issued by the competent authorities of the Schengen member country present on the territory, allowing the holder to benefit from free movement for a limited period.

In 2021, the kingdom was ranked the fifth largest beneficiary of Schengen visas in the world, with 157,100 applications. However, Morocco has a number of rejected applications higher than the average: 39,520 applications were rejected, according to the European Commission.

The published data also show that more than half of the applications from Morocco, or a total of 84,499, were made at Spanish embassies, consulates and visa centers. As for France, it processed 58,310 applications, it is specified.

However, the number of Schengen visa applications submitted by Moroccans has decreased considerably in 2021 compared to the pre-Covid period. In 2019, 705,293 applications were submitted, 77.7% more than in 2021. A general trend linked to the spread of Covid-19, according to experts.