Schengen visa: Indians lost Rs1.36 billion in rejected applications in 2024
In 2004, over 1.65 lakh Schengen visa applications from India were rejected, causing a loss of a whopping ₹136 crore (Dh58 million) in non-refundable fees. India is third among countries with maximum losses, followed by Turkey and Algeria.
Each visa application cost around €85 (Rs 8,270 or Dh 357); the fee was revised to €90 in the middle of the year for Indian applicants aged 12 and above.
According to Conde Nast Traveller, the total amount that Indians spent on filing visa applications in 2024 was around Rs 9.16 billion.
The report added that of the 11.08 lakh Schengen visa applications filed by Indians , a total of 1,65,266 were turned down which is a rejection rate of nearly 15 per cent .
France topped the list of Schengen countries that rejected the most Indian visa applications — 31,314 in total —leading to a loss of around Rs 258 million. It was followed by Switzerland, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands that caused the most losses.
This year, more than 217,000 applications were submitted from India to Switzerland alone, making it the most sought-after Schengen state for Indian travellers. It was followed by France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.
Globally, Algerians faced the highest losses (15.7 million euros or Rs 1.53 billion), followed by Turks (14.4 million euros or Rs 1.40 billion), Conde Nast Traveller quoted data from the European Commission as saying.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
14 hours ago
- The National
Will Europe's shift on Israel's war in Gaza change anything?
Too little, too late. This was the sentiment echoed among critics in the international community after Europe started taking a new, critical stance on Israel's war in Gaza in recent weeks. For Palestinians actually in the strip, it is certainly too late, with the death toll from 19 months of war at more than 54,200. But what of the new stance itself? In late May, the EU announced it would launch a review of its relations with Israel. The move was backed by 17 of 27 states and could lead to a suspension in whole or in part of the EU-Israel agreement, the legal framework that governs their bilateral economic co-operation. In Germany, new Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned the future of arms sales to Israel; in France, President Emmanuel Macron has been rallying global support to recognise Palestinian statehood; and in the UK, the government issued sanctions against several illegal Israeli settlers and paused trade negotiations. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the motives and timing of Europe's shifting position on Gaza and asks whether these measures will make any difference to the war. We hear from former German ambassador Heinrich Kreft and Hugh Lovatt, senior Mena policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Editor's note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our two-minute listener survey. Click here.
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
a day ago
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
The One That Started It All: Jane Birkin's Original Hermès Bag Heads to Auction at Sotheby's
This July, Sotheby's Paris will offer collectors and admirers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to own the original Birkin—the very handbag designed for and with Jane Birkin herself, that would go on to define modern luxury. For decades, the Birkin has held court as the most recognisable and elusive accessory on the planet. But before it became […] This July, Sotheby's Paris will offer collectors and admirers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to own the original Birkin—the very handbag designed for and with Jane Birkin herself, that would go on to define modern luxury. For decades, the Birkin has held court as the most recognisable and elusive accessory on the planet. But before it became synonymous with waitlists and wealth, it was just a beautifully made black leather bag, crafted by Hermès in 1984 for a woman known for turning simple into chic. That exact bag will lead Sotheby's inaugural Fashion Icons auction in Paris on July 10, just as the world's style set descends on the capital for Haute Couture Week. Exhibited publicly only a handful of times—from Sotheby's Paris galleries to their Hong Kong maison—the original Birkin is marked by seven unique design details that separate it from every iteration since. While the first Birkin bags created by Hermès were 40 cm in size, and then by 35 cm in size, the original Birkin is a hybrid of the two sizes; It has the width and height of a Birkin 35 with the depth of a Birkin 40, with unique studs, zipper, hardware and the strap. A handmade prototype rich with patina and lived-in character, it is unmistakably Jane: practical, iconic, and a little bit rebellious. Before it goes under the hammer, the bag will appear in a rare public showing at Sotheby's New York galleries from June 6-12. 'It's incredible to think that a bag designed as a practical solution has grown into such a defining emblem of luxury,' says Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion. 'The prototype that started it all carries a soul and legacy that no other handbag can claim.' 'There are rare moments when an object transcends trend and becomes a legend,' Halimi continues. 'Jane Birkin's original bag is such a moment. A true unicorn in fashion history, it belongs in the same breath as Princess Diana's Black Sheep jumper or Freddie Mercury's crown and cloak.' The bag's final sale estimate remains confidential, but expectations are unsurprisingly high. What Sotheby's does confirm is that the bag will join an illustrious line-up of archival fashion pieces in the Paris Fashion Icons sale—from sculptural pieces by Thierry Mugler to rare runway looks by Dior, Galliano, McQueen, and Azzedine Alaïa. Bidding will open online from June 26 to July 10, and viewings will be held at Sotheby's Paris galleries on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré from July 3-9. As always, Sotheby's continues to lead the secondary market for Hermès handbags—whether it's a crisp white Himalaya, a neon Limited Edition, or the rarest collector's pieces in alligator, ostrich, or box calf. Today, over 1,200 Hermès bags are available for immediate purchase on Sotheby's Buy Now platform, a digital trove for serious collectors and first-timers alike. But none of them carry the legacy of this one. Because only one bag was carried by Jane Birkin—and only one started it all.
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Fighter pilot takes next giant step for India's space plans
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla blasts off into space next week as the first Indian to join the International Space Station (ISS), bearing with him New Delhi's dreams of its own manned space flight. An airforce fighter pilot, 39-year-old Shukla is joining a four-crew mission launching from the United States with private company Axiom Space, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. He will become the first Indian to join the ISS, and only the second ever in orbit -- an achievement that the world's most populous nation hopes will be a stepping stone for its own human flight. "I truly believe that even though, as an individual, I am travelling to space, this is the journey of 1.4 billion people," Shukla was quoted as saying by The Hindu newspaper this year. Shukla said he hopes to "ignite the curiosity of an entire generation in my country", and "drive the innovation that will make many such projects possible for us in the future". The airforce group captain -- equivalent to an army colonel or navy captain -- will pilot the commercial mission slated to launch June 10 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a joint team between NASA and ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation. 'New era' India's Department of Space calls it a "defining chapter" in its ambitions, naming Shukla as "among the top contenders" for its maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, "sky craft" in Hindi, scheduled for launch in 2027. "His journey is more than just a flight -- it's a signal that India is stepping boldly into a new era of space exploration," the Department of Space said ahead of the launch. New Delhi has paid more than $60 million for the mission, according to Indian media reports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced plans to send a man to the Moon by 2040. India's ISRO said in May that it planned to launch an uncrewed orbital mission later this year, before its first human spaceflight in early 2027. Shukla's voyage comes four decades after Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma joined a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. "What sets Shukla's mission apart is its strategic importance," the department added. "Unlike the symbolic undertones of India's first human spaceflight, this time the focus is on operational readiness and global integration." Shukla also trained in Russia, in 2020 along with three other astronaut hopefuls, at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center -- before further training at ISRO's centre in the southern city of Bengaluru. He has said the journey aboard the Axiom Mission 4 -- and then the expected 14 days on the ISS -- will provide "invaluable" lessons to bring back home. - Space yoga - Shukla will be led by mission commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, and joined by European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The son of a government ministry official, from Lucknow in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Shukla is a veteran fighter pilot experienced in flying Russian Sukhoi and MiG jets. He has promised to perform yoga poses in the ISS. If he is unable to fly on Tuesday, fellow airforce pilot Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, 48, is expected to take his place. India has flexed its ambitions in the last decade with its space programme growing considerably in size and momentum, matching the achievements of established powers at a much cheaper price tag. In August 2023, it became just the fourth nation to land an unmanned craft on the Moon after Russia, the United States and China. Waiting at home will be Shukla's family, including his wife and son. "I've been having goosebumps by just thinking that soon my brother will be in space," his older sister Suchi, a school teacher, told the Times of India newspaper.
