Austria vs Belgium: Which EU country issued more Schengen visas to Pakistan in 2025?

KARACHI – A recent Europe Union report on visas highlights the contrast between Austria and Belgium in issuing Schengen visas to Pakistani applicants in 2025. According to the report, Pakistanis applied for 2,543 uniform visas to Austria last year. Out of these, only 636 visas were granted, including 82 multiple-entry visas, while 4 visas were issued with Limited Territorial Validity (LTV). This means that 1,758 applications were rejected, resulting in a not-issued rate of 73.3 percent. LTV visas allow travel only to Austria or a few specifically named Schengen states. In comparison, Belgium received 4,987 uniform visa applications from Pakistanis. Of these, 2,032 were approved, including 517 multiple-entry visas, and 48 LTV visas were issued. Belgium rejected 2,807 applications, giving it a lower not-issued rate of 57.4 percent. The figures show that Belgian authorities approved more visas both in absolute numbers and in percentage terms, making Belgium the more generous Schengen visa issuer for Pakistani travelers in 2025. Austria, despite receiving fewer applications, maintained a stricter approval rate. Overall, EU and Schengen-associated consulates received nearly 12 million applications for short-stay visas in 2025, marking a 1.8% increase from 2024 (11.7 million) and a 15.5% rise from 2023 (10.3 million), according to figures released by the European Commission. However, demand remains well below the 17 million applications recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 10 million visas were issued in 2025 —a 3% increase from 2024 (9.7 million)— but still short of the 15 million granted in 2019. The global refusal rate held steady at 14.8%, unchanged from 2024, though some countries saw significant fluctuations. Refusals fell in Russia (6.4%, down from 7.5%), Algeria (31%, down from 35%), and Ethiopia (34%, down from 36.1%), but rose sharply in Cape Verde (21.4%, up from 13.4%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (40.1%, up from 29.9%), Senegal (51.9%,