Schengen visa bids up last year

Nordic embassies in Thailand received 4% more Schengen visa applications in 2017 than the previous year.

Based on Schengen visa application figures recently revealed by SchengenVisaInfo.com, the Nordic countries are muchsought-after destinations by Thai citizens. According to the statistics, the number applying for Schengen visas to the region reached 52,595 in 2017, a 4% rise compared to 2016.

The share of Schengen visa applications by Thais among the four Nordic countries —Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland — was fairly even. In 2017, the Swedish embassy in Bangkok received 16,396 applications making it the most popular of the four.

The figures show 14,611 uniform visas were granted, out of which 12.8% were Multiple Entry Visas (MEVs). Sweden also led in terms of the number of rejected applications, as 1,348, or 8.2%, of applicants at this embassy failed to get their Schengen visa.

The second most popular Nordic destination for Thais in 2017 was Denmark. The Danish consulate received 14,340 uniform Schengen visa applications, a total of which 13,460 were successful, with 33.1% being MEV visas. The embassy rejected 558 Schengen visa applications.

The Norwegian embassy received slightly fewer applications. In 2017, 12,415 citizens from Thailand filed for a Schengen visa. Most (12,024) were issued a visa, with only 390 or 3.1% rejected. Finland’s embassy recorded 9,444 applications in 2017. Of this number, 8,896 applicants were successful.