South Africa has once again achieved the highest Schengen visa approval rates globally, marking the second consecutive year of this distinction. In 2023, nearly 95 percent of visa applications submitted by South Africans were approved, reflecting the country’s strong standing in the visa application process. This high approval rate underscores the reliability and thoroughness of applications submitted by South Africans, which contrasts with the approval rates of many other nations.

Although South Africans did not receive the most visas overall—that title belongs to Moroccan nationals, who were issued 233,018 visas—they still lead in terms of approval rates among countries with a significant number of applications. In 2023, out of 204,211 visa applications filed by South Africans, 192,888 were approved, with a notable 69.6 percent of these being multiple-entry visas. This marks an increase from 2022, when 155,455 visas were granted, accounting for 93.7 percent of the total applications from South Africans.

In comparison, Botswana had the third-highest approval rate, with 93.15 percent of its 1,884 applications being successful, resulting in 1,755 approved visas. However, only 38.8 percent of these were multiple-entry visas. Similarly, applicants from Sao Tome and Principe, despite having a high approval rate for their 9,582 visa applications, saw only 653 out of 9,242 visas granted being multiple-entry visas.

South Africa's strong performance in the Schengen visa application process highlights the country's growing reputation for compliance and thoroughness in meeting visa requirements, making it a leading nation in terms of approval rates for the second year in a row.