Indian demand for travel to Europe reached a new high in 2025, with a record 1.15 million Schengen visa applications filed, according to European Commission data. While France and Germany have long been among the top choices for Indian travellers, Switzerland emerged as the most sought-after Schengen destination, attracting more applications than any other European country.
The figures also show that nearly six in 10 visas issued to Indians were multiple-entry permits, allowing travellers to visit Europe repeatedly without applying for a new visa each time.
India submitted 1,153,748 Schengen visa applications during the year, making it the third-largest source market globally after China and Türkiye, according to European Commission data. Nearly 967,000 visas were issued to Indian applicants, while 181,111 applications resulted in non-issuance decisions, translating into an overall non-issuance rate of 15.8%.
India becomes Europe's third-largest visa market
Only China and Türkiye filed more Schengen visa applications than India in 2025.
| Country | Applications |
|---|---|
| China | 1.81 million |
| Türkiye | 1.27 million |
| India | 1.15 million |
| Russia | 679,425 |
| Morocco | 619,827 |
The figures underline India's growing importance for European tourism, business travel, higher education and cross-border mobility.
Switzerland emerges as the top choice for Indians
For the first time, Switzerland received the highest number of Schengen visa applications from India, ahead of France and Germany.
| Destination Country | Applications from India |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | 226,044 |
| France | 204,184 |
| Germany | 153,179 |
| Netherlands | 97,650 |
| Spain | 90,720 |
The development marks a shift in travel demand patterns as France and Germany have traditionally ranked among the largest Schengen destinations for Indian applicants.
The Swiss Embassy in New Delhi processed 226,044 applications, making it the busiest Schengen visa mission in India.
Multiple-entry visas dominate
The European Commission data shows 966,529 uniform visas were issued to Indian applicants during the year.
Of these, 556,870 were multiple-entry visas, accounting for nearly 58% of all visas granted.
The high share of multiple-entry visas indicates a growing base of repeat Indian travellers visiting Europe for tourism, business and family-related travel.
Swiss embassy in Delhi tops visa processing charts
The busiest Schengen visa missions in India handled application volumes running into tens of thousands.
| Consulate | Applications |
|---|---|
| Swiss Embassy, New Delhi | 226,044 |
| German Consulate, Mumbai | 130,562 |
| Dutch Embassy, New Delhi | 97,648 |
| French Consulate, Mumbai | 64,765 |
| French Consulate, Bengaluru | 54,046 |
| Austrian Embassy, New Delhi | 48,761 |
| French Embassy, New Delhi | 46,477 |
| Greek Embassy, New Delhi | 41,009 |
The Swiss Embassy alone processed more applications than the total Indian operations of several Schengen member states.
France maintains a large visa network
France continued to run one of the largest visa-processing networks in India.
Its missions processed:
- Mumbai: 64,765 applications
- Bengaluru: 54,046 applications
- New Delhi: 46,477 applications
- Chennai: 28,780 applications
- Kolkata: 10,116 applications
Together, French diplomatic missions handled more than 204,000 applications from Indian travellers.
Germany's Mumbai consulate stands out
The German Consulate in Mumbai processed 130,562 applications, making it one of the largest Schengen visa posts in India.
The mission issued 115,733 multiple-entry visas and recorded a non-issuance rate of 10.8%, significantly lower than India's overall average.
Germany overall received 153,179 applications from India and reported a non-issuance rate of 10.5%.
Visa outcomes differ sharply across countries
European Commission data shows large variations in non-issuance rates across Schengen states.
Highest non-Issuance rates for Indian applicants
| Country | Non-Issuance Rate |
|---|---|
| Slovenia | 46.1% |
| Bulgaria | 37.0% |
| Greece | 33.0% |
| Malta | 31.7% |
| Estonia | 30.1% |
| Croatia | 27.1% |
| Austria | 21.6% |
| Netherlands | 20.6% |
For Greece, roughly one in three applications from India did not result in a visa being issued.
Lowest non-issuance rates
| Country | Non-Issuance Rate |
|---|---|
| Denmark | 6.9% |
| Belgium | 7.7% |
| Germany | 10.5% |
| Sweden | 11.4% |
| Italy | 12.7% |
| Switzerland | 13.6% |
Several countries receiving large volumes of Indian applications, including Germany and Switzerland, maintained comparatively lower non-issuance rates.
Border-issued Schengen visas remain limited
Separate European Commission statistics on visas issued at Schengen border crossing points show only a small number of travellers received visas directly at borders.
The Netherlands issued 13,994 such visas, followed by France with 5,891 and Belgium with 5,812.
Compared with the more than 1.15 million applications submitted by Indian travellers through consulates, border-issued visas remain a small component of the Schengen visa system.
The latest European Commission data highlights three major trends in India's travel relationship with Europe. India has consolidated its position as the world's third-largest Schengen visa market, Switzerland has become the leading destination country for Indian applicants, and multiple-entry visas now account for the majority of visas issued to Indians. The figures reflect the growing scale of outbound travel from India and the country's rising importance for European tourism and mobility.
