# Portugal Visa Rejection Rate for Indians: What Drives Approval > The European Commission puts Portugal's Schengen refusal rate in India at 20.3% for 2025. What the figure measures, and the documents Portuguese missions ask Indians to provide. _Published: 2026-11-02 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1072_ ## TL;DR European Commission data put the refusal rate for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Portuguese consulates in India at 20.3% in 2025, up from 16.2% in 2024. The rate describes past decisions, not your chances. What you control is the file: funds, purpose, insurance, travel history and the right jurisdiction, plus an interview if you apply in Mumbai or Pune without recent Schengen travel. ## Key takeaways - 2025 refusal rate at Portuguese consulates in India: 20.3% (3,138 visas not issued; 15,422 applications lodged). - 2024 refusal rate: 16.2% (1,953 visas not issued; 12,626 applications lodged). - The figures cover short-stay Schengen visas only, not national work or study visas. - Mumbai and Pune applicants with no Schengen travel in the last 3 years must attend a Skype interview. - The EUR 90 fee and INR 3384 VFS fee are not refunded; an appeal costs EUR 75 plus taxes via VFS. **According to European Commission data, the refusal rate for short-stay Schengen visa applications lodged at Portuguese consulates in India was 20.3% in 2025, with 3,138 visas not issued and 15,422 applications lodged, up from 16.2% in 2024. The rate measures past decisions; it does not predict any individual application.** ## Article A rate cannot tell you how your own file will be judged, but the checklists can. The figures and requirements below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For fees and step-by-step booking, see our Portugal visa guide for Indian applicants. ### What is Portugal's visa refusal rate for Indian applicants? The European Commission publishes Schengen visa statistics for each consulate. For Portuguese consulates in India, the last two years look like this: YearRefusal rateVisas not issuedApplications lodged202520.3%3,13815,422202416.2%1,95312,626Both columns moved up between the two years: more applications were lodged at Portuguese consulates in India in 2025, and the refusal rate rose from 16.2% to 20.3%. ### What does the 20.3% figure actually measure? It is the Commission's refusal rate for short-stay (Schengen C) applications lodged at Portugal's missions in India: the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi and the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa. Three limits are worth knowing: - It covers tourist, business, family-visit and other short-stay visas only. National visas for work, study or residence are not part of it. - It is a rate across all applicants, with very different profiles. It is not an approval chance for any one person. - It is calculated by the Commission. Do not read it as a simple division of the two columns in the table. The underlying data is in the Commission's 2025 Schengen visa statistics by consulate. ### What does Portugal ask Indian applicants to prove? The Embassy of Portugal's tourism checklist for the New Delhi jurisdiction shows where the consulate looks. Each row is something an officer can verify. What you must showWhat the checklist asks forPurpose and planPersonal covering letter explaining the trip and itinerary; roundtrip flight reservation; accommodation proof for the entire stayIncome and employmentLast 3 months' personal bank statements as originals with bank stamp and signature, ITR-V for the last 2 assessment years, salary slips and an employer letter approving your holidaysSelf-employed statusBusiness or GST registration with annex A and B, partnership deed or proprietorship proof, and ITR for 2 assessment yearsTravel historyPrevious passports, copies of previous Schengen visas, valid UK, USA or Canada visas, and details of any visa refusals in the last 2 yearsHealth coverOriginal travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 (USD 50,000 or CHF 50,000) from an approved Indian insurer, with the Travel Health DeclarationSponsor, if anyOriginal Statement of Responsibility (Termo de Responsabilidade) certified by a Portuguese notary or lawyer, with the sponsor's ID or residence permitFor funds, the European Commission's reference amounts for Portugal are EUR 75 for each entry and EUR 40 for each day spent in Portugal. Students and unemployed applicants show their parents' bank statements and ITRs for 2 assessment years, with a letter of financial support. ### Does the interview rule in Mumbai and Pune affect you? It does if you apply at VFS Mumbai or Pune and have not travelled to a Schengen country in the last 3 years. In that case every short-stay applicant, adults and children, must attend a personal interview with the Consulate by Skype, which VFS schedules. Separately, the Embassy or Consulate can call any applicant for an interview. Treat the interview as part of the file. Your answers on purpose, dates, funds and job should match the covering letter, bookings and bank statements you submitted. ### Which jurisdiction and paperwork rules catch applicants out? - Six months' residence: to apply in India you must have been legally resident in the consular jurisdiction for at least 6 months. - The right mission: residents of Goa, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu apply to the Consulate General in Goa through VFS Mumbai, Goa or Pune. Everyone else falls under the Embassy in New Delhi, with a separate checklist. - Your own phone number: the form must carry your number, not an agent's. - Presentation: documents in Portuguese or English, on A4, unstapled and in checklist order. - Passport: issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after your return, with at least two empty pages; handwritten passports are not accepted. ### What happens if Portugal refuses your visa? The money is gone: the adult visa fee of INR 9736 (EUR 90) and the VFS service fee of INR 3384 are not refunded after a refusal. You then have two options. The Embassy's FAQ says appeals are lodged through VFS with a fee of EUR 75 plus taxes. Or you can reapply with the weak points fixed and the refusal declared, since the checklist asks for details of refusals in the last 2 years. Short-stay decisions are due within 15 calendar days from admissibility, extendable up to 45, with up to two working days of transit to the Embassy; the Embassy's page gives an average decision period of 10 days. Indian nationals living in India who have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas within the previous three years can be issued a 2-year multiple-entry visa. A clear covering letter and a consistent itinerary help the officer read your file. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares cover letters, flight reservations, hotel bookings and itineraries, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for all four. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Do I have to declare a previous Schengen refusal when applying to Portugal? Yes. The Portuguese checklist asks for details of visa refusals in the last 2 years, together with previous passports and copies of earlier Schengen visas. #### How long does Portugal take to decide a tourist visa from India? Decisions are due within 15 calendar days from admissibility, extendable up to 45 calendar days, with up to two working days of transit to the Embassy. The Embassy's page gives an average decision period of 10 days. #### How much money should I show for a Portugal tourist visa? The European Commission's reference amounts for Portugal are EUR 75 for each entry and EUR 40 for each day spent in Portugal. The checklist also asks for 3 months of stamped bank statements and ITRs for 2 assessment years. #### Does Portugal's 20.3% refusal rate include student and work visas? No. The European Commission figure covers short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Portuguese consulates in India. National visas for work, study or residence are outside it. ## FAQ ### Do I have to declare a previous Schengen refusal when applying to Portugal? Yes. The Portuguese checklist asks for details of visa refusals in the last 2 years, together with previous passports and copies of earlier Schengen visas. ### How long does Portugal take to decide a tourist visa from India? Decisions are due within 15 calendar days from admissibility, extendable up to 45 calendar days, with up to two working days of transit to the Embassy. The Embassy's page gives an average decision period of 10 days. ### How much money should I show for a Portugal tourist visa? The European Commission's reference amounts for Portugal are EUR 75 for each entry and EUR 40 for each day spent in Portugal. The checklist also asks for 3 months of stamped bank statements and ITRs for 2 assessment years. ### Does Portugal's 20.3% refusal rate include student and work visas? No. The European Commission figure covers short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Portuguese consulates in India. National visas for work, study or residence are outside it. ## Sources 1. [European Commission - Schengen visa statistics by consulate (2025)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/56816949-e59f-442b-9091-5d03360bf860_en) — European Commission 2. [European Commission - Schengen visa statistics by consulate (2024)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6552447c-1d75-4f7c-bed6-1bd17a5d59f8_en?filename=2024-schengen-visa-statistics-consulates_en.xlsx) — European Commission 3. [Embassy of Portugal New Delhi - Checklist for Schengen Visa (Tourism)](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/portugal/india/english/pdf/tourism-checklist-newdelhi.pdf) — Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi 4. [Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi - Visas FAQ (jurisdiction, fees, appeals, tracking)](https://novadeli.embaixadaportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/consular-section/visas) — Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi