Applicants from São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, and Botswana stand out as the most likely to be granted a Schengen visa among African nations, as reflected in their exceptionally high visa approval rates. Schengen visas, which allow travel across multiple European countries, are subject to rigorous application processes. However, some countries consistently achieve higher approval rates, indicating their applicants meet the stringent requirements more effectively.
According to recently published data, the average approval rate for Schengen visa applicants from the African continent in 2023 was 70 percent. This statistic highlights the challenges many applicants face, as nearly one-third of all applications were rejected. Despite these overall trends, certain African countries performed significantly better.
Specifically, the visa approval rates for applicants from three African nations were notably higher than the continental average:
- São Tomé and Príncipe – 96.45 percent approval rate
- South Africa – 94.45 percent approval rate
- Botswana – 93.15 percent approval rate
These figures illustrate the relative ease with which citizens from these countries obtain Schengen visas compared to their counterparts from other African nations.