Spain-Morocco: Between record requests and massive refusals, the Schengen visa puzzle

According to data from the European Commission, Morocco is the second country of origin for visa applicants to Spain with 218,991 requests. It ranks just behind China, which has more than 254,000 cases, but ahead of Russia and Algeria. This high level of demand is part of a context where Spain is officially classified by the European Union as a "migratory pressure" state. This situation explains the vigilance of the consular services, although the Spanish refusal rate remains close to the French average, set at 15.8%.

The analysis of the files is based on precise criteria such as the solidity of the financial guarantees and the consistency of the reasons for travel. However, geographical disparities appear in the processing of applications. A study by the HelloSafe platform indicates that an African applicant has statistically eight times more chances of having their application refused than an Asian national. On the scale of the Schengen Area, where 11.7 million visas were requested in 2024, Malta stands out for the most restrictive policy with a rejection rate reaching 38.5%.