In 2023, the issuance of multiple-entry visas (MEVs) by Schengen Area Member States experienced a decline compared to the previous year. In 2022, the average rate of MEVs issued by Schengen countries was 58.1% of all visas granted. However, in 2023, this percentage dropped to 54.2%, indicating a noticeable reduction in the proportion of visas that allowed multiple entries.
Particularly, certain countries within the Schengen Area demonstrated a significantly lower likelihood of issuing MEVs to travelers. Among these countries, Finland issued MEVs to only 21.3% of applicants, making it the country with the lowest MEV issuance rate. Norway followed closely with a rate of 22.6%, while Sweden and Spain had slightly higher rates of 25.7% and 27.2%, respectively. These figures suggest that travelers applying for visas to these countries faced the greatest difficulty in obtaining a visa that permitted multiple entries.
This trend highlights a tightening in visa policies across the Schengen Area, with a particular emphasis on restricting the issuance of multiple-entry visas. This could be attributed to a variety of factors, including changes in immigration policies, security concerns, or administrative adjustments within the visa-issuing authorities of these countries.