African travelers faced significant financial losses in 2024 due to non-refundable Schengen visa fees, totaling nearly €60 million ($67.5 million), as reported by the LAGO Collective. The data highlighted the challenges faced by African countries, with high rejection rates and increasing application costs. For example, Nigeria saw over 50,000 short-stay visa applications denied last year, reflecting the uphill battle many African applicants face in obtaining visas for European travel.
Applicants worldwide are required to pay a non-refundable visa fee of 90 euros (approximately $100). This means that Nigerians alone lost over 4.5 million euros (about $5 million) in their efforts to secure permission to travel to the 29 European countries within the Schengen Area.
Marta Foresti, the founder of the LAGO Collective, pointed out the discriminatory nature of the visa application process, stating that the poorest countries end up paying the richest countries without guaranteed visa approvals. She noted that rejection rates tend to be higher for applicants from less economically developed countries, such as Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria, suggesting systemic bias within the system.
In July 2024, the standard Schengen visa fee increased from €80 to €90, adding to the financial burden on applicants. Unlike many other service fees, visa application charges are non-refundable, regardless of whether the visa is granted or denied. Foresti described these financial losses as “reverse remittances,” where money flows from economically disadvantaged countries to wealthier European nations without any reciprocal benefits.
A separate report by Henley & Partners corroborated these findings, revealing that African applicants were twice as likely to face rejection compared to their Asian counterparts in 2023, despite submitting fewer applications. Six out of the ten countries with the highest rejection rates were African nations, with Comoros leading at 61.3%, followed by Guinea-Bissau (51%), Ghana (47.5%), Mali (46.1%), Sudan (42.3%), and Senegal (41.2%).
The disparity in visa approval rates and the financial burden placed on African applicants underscore the need for greater transparency and fairness in the Schengen visa application process. It is imperative to address the systemic discrimination and bias that hinder many African travelers from accessing essential travel opportunities.
