# Netherlands Visa Rejection Rate for Indians: What Drives Approval > European Commission data put the Schengen refusal rate at Dutch consulates in India at 20.7% in 2025, up from 16.1%. What the number measures and what the Dutch checklist judges. _Published: 2026-10-25 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1253_ ## TL;DR Dutch consulates in India did not issue 20,156 of 97,650 Schengen applications lodged in 2025 (20.7%), against 16.1% in 2024, per European Commission data. The figure covers every short-stay purpose and is not a personal probability; your file is judged on ties, funds, travel plans and insurance. ## Key takeaways - Dutch consulates in India did not issue 20,156 of 97,650 Schengen applications in 2025, a 20.7% refusal rate. - In 2024 the rate was 16.1% (14,569 of 91,003), per European Commission data. - The rate mixes every Schengen purpose and is counted by place of application, not nationality. - A Dutch refusal letter states the reasons; you can object to the IND within four weeks. - The EUR 90 visa fee and INR 1,890 VFS fee are not refunded and must be paid again if you reapply. **According to European Commission Schengen visa statistics, Dutch consulates in India did not issue 20,156 of the 97,650 Schengen visa applications lodged in 2025, a refusal rate of 20.7%, up from 16.1% in 2024. The figure covers all Schengen applications lodged in India, not only tourist visas, and is not a prediction for your file.** ## Article That number gets quoted a lot, sometimes as a warning and sometimes as a "success rate". Neither reading is quite right. Below is what the Commission figure measures, how it moved between 2024 and 2025, and which parts of the Dutch checklist your own file is judged on. Fees, rules and figures are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For visa types, fees and centres in one place, see our Netherlands visa guide for Indian applicants. ### What does the 20.7% figure actually count? The figure comes from the European Commission's Schengen visa statistics by consulate for 2025. It compares applications lodged at Dutch consulates in India with the number of visas not issued. YearApplications lodged at Dutch consulates in IndiaNot issuedRefusal rate202597,65020,15620.7%202491,00314,56916.1%Four points keep the number in proportion: - It is counted by place of application. The data is grouped by the consulate where the file was lodged, not by the applicant's nationality. - It covers every Schengen purpose. Tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, seafarers and events sit in one total. This dataset has no separate Dutch tourist-visa rate. - It describes past outcomes. It says nothing about why any single file was refused. - It is not your probability. Your decision depends on your own documents measured against the Dutch checklist. ### How did 2025 compare with 2024? Applications lodged at Dutch consulates in India rose from 91,003 in 2024 to 97,650 in 2025. Visas not issued rose faster, from 14,569 to 20,156. The refusal rate therefore moved from 16.1% to 20.7%, so roughly one application in five lodged in 2025 did not end in a visa. The Commission tables give no reasons for the change, and NetherlandsWorldwide publishes no breakdown of refusal grounds. Treat any explanation you read elsewhere as opinion. The practical lesson is simpler: a Dutch file needs to be complete and consistent on the day you submit, because a second attempt costs time. VFS India states an average processing time of 25 calendar days, NetherlandsWorldwide currently gives 18 to 21 calendar days on average, and both name a maximum of 45 calendar days. ### Which parts of the Dutch checklist carry your file? The NetherlandsWorldwide tourism checklist for India sets out what the consular officer expects to see. Each group of documents answers a different question about your trip. - Will you come back? Employees show an employment contract, a leave approval letter and payslips for the past 3 months. Self-employed applicants show a company registration certificate with GST number, business bank statements and an income tax return with a verified barcode. Retired applicants show 3 months of pension statements; students, a statement from their institution. - Can you pay for the trip? Personal bank statements for the past 3 months, stamped and signed by the bank, or Indian income tax returns for the last 2 tax years. - Is the trip what you say it is? A cover letter giving the reason, duration, fellow travellers, transport and accommodation; proof of accommodation for the whole trip and for each Schengen country visited; and a travel reservation to and from the Schengen area. A paid ticket is not required. - Are you insured? Travel medical insurance valid for all Schengen countries for the entire stay, with cover of at least EUR 30,000. The policy schedule must name you. - Is your passport usable? Not more than 10 years old, with at least 2 blank visa pages, and valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area. A gap in one area, or documents that do not match each other (cover-letter dates that differ from the hotel booking, for example), leaves the officer with less to rely on. ### Does earlier Schengen travel count in your favour? It counts towards the type of visa you get. Under an EU decision of 18 April 2024, Indian nationals living in India who have obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years are issued a two-year multiple-entry visa, with validity ending 3 months before the passport expires. Schengen states may issue multiple-entry visas valid for up to 5 years in justified cases. Lawful use is the key phrase. A Schengen visa allows a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period, and overstaying risks a two-year Schengen visa sanction. ### What can you do after a Dutch refusal? - Read the decision letter. It states the reasons. NetherlandsWorldwide cannot tell you anything beyond the letter, and questions about an objection go to the IND. - Object, if you think the decision is wrong. You can object within four weeks of the date on the decision, in writing to the IND, or through someone you authorise. For family visits, family or friends in the Netherlands can object online on your behalf. See Visa refused: objection or new application. - Or apply again with the missing documents. The EUR 90 visa fee and the INR 1,890 VFS service fee are not refunded and must be paid again. If an objection succeeds, you apply in the "Visa after approved appeal" category with the no-objection letter and its copy. No consular visa fee is charged; only the VFS service charge is payable. ### Before you book: mistakes that cost Indian applicants money - Booking the wrong category. If the category is wrong you cannot submit on the day and you lose the VFS service fee. - Letting someone else book for you. NetherlandsWorldwide asks you to book your own appointment online, not through an intermediary. Every person, including babies and children, needs a separate appointment. - Applying too late. You can apply up to 6 months before travel and no later than 15 days before it. - Buying non-refundable flights first. A reservation is enough for the file; a verifiable flight reservation keeps your money safe until the decision. - Chasing the embassy for updates. Track the file on the VFS website with your receipt number. Contact VFS only if you have heard nothing after 45 days; processing cannot be speeded up. If you want help with the travel side of the file, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, day-by-day itineraries and cover letters for visa applications. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter. Message us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Is the Netherlands visa refusal rate for Indians rising? Yes, on the European Commission's consulate data. The rate at Dutch consulates in India went from 16.1% in 2024 (14,569 of 91,003 applications) to 20.7% in 2025 (20,156 of 97,650). The Commission does not publish the reasons for the change. #### Does the Netherlands tell you why a visa was refused? Yes. You receive a decision letter stating the reasons. NetherlandsWorldwide cannot explain a refusal beyond that letter; questions about an objection go to the IND. #### Is the visa fee refunded if a Dutch visa is refused? No. The EUR 90 Schengen visa fee and the INR 1,890 VFS service fee are not refunded, and a new application means paying both again. If an objection succeeds, the follow-up application carries no consular fee, only the VFS service charge. #### Do I need a confirmed flight ticket for a Netherlands Schengen visa? No. The Dutch checklist asks for a travel reservation to and from the Schengen area and states that a paid ticket is not required. You also need proof of accommodation for the whole trip. ## FAQ ### Is the Netherlands visa refusal rate for Indians rising? Yes, on the European Commission's consulate data. The rate at Dutch consulates in India went from 16.1% in 2024 (14,569 of 91,003 applications) to 20.7% in 2025 (20,156 of 97,650). The Commission does not publish the reasons for the change. ### Does the Netherlands tell you why a visa was refused? Yes. You receive a decision letter stating the reasons. NetherlandsWorldwide cannot explain a refusal beyond that letter; questions about an objection go to the IND. ### Is the visa fee refunded if a Dutch visa is refused? No. The EUR 90 Schengen visa fee and the INR 1,890 VFS service fee are not refunded, and a new application means paying both again. If an objection succeeds, the follow-up application carries no consular fee, only the VFS service charge. ### Do I need a confirmed flight ticket for a Netherlands Schengen visa? No. The Dutch checklist asks for a travel reservation to and from the Schengen area and states that a paid ticket is not required. You also need proof of accommodation for the whole trip. ## Sources 1. [Schengen visa statistics by consulate (2025)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/56816949-e59f-442b-9091-5d03360bf860_en) — European Commission 2. [Checklist: Schengen visa in India for tourism](https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/visa-the-netherlands/checklist-schengen-visa-tourism/india) — NetherlandsWorldwide (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands) 3. [Visa refused: objection or new application](https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/visa-the-netherlands/objecting-refuse-application) — NetherlandsWorldwide (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands) 4. [VFS Global Netherlands India](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/nld/) — VFS Global