African nationals submitted 704,000 visa applications in 2023, with 636 from Nigeria being rejected, resulting in a total of €3.4m in non-refundable fees.

Morocco had the highest number of Schengen visa applications in 2023.

The EU Commission’s decision to increase the visa fee will result in a 12.5% increase in expenditures for African nationals, who already spent €56.3m on visa applications in 2023, representing 43% of all expenses.

Rejection rates for African and Asian countries were particularly high in 2023, accounting for 90% of all expenses.