Schengen Visa Demand is Rising, but Europe Has Not Yet Returned to 2019 Levels: What This Means for Tourists
The European Commission has published new statistics on short-stay Schengen visas for 2025: consulates of EU countries and states associated with Schengen received nearly 12 million applications, which is more than in 2024, but still significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels. For tourists, this is an important signal: demand for trips to Europe is recovering, however, consular queues, refusals, multiple-entry visas, and new digital control systems remain key factors for travel planning in 2026.
A new publication by the European Commission dated May 28, 2026, shows that the Schengen destination continues to recover international tourist demand, but it is doing so unevenly. In 2025, consulates of the EU and countries associated with the Schengen Area received nearly 12 million applications for short-stay visas. This is 1.8% more than in 2024, when there were 11.7 million applications, and 15.5% more than in 2023, when there were 10.3 million. At the same time, the market has not yet returned to the 2019 indicator, when about 17 million applications were recorded.
For the tourism industry, this is not dry bureaucratic statistics. The Schengen visa remains one of the main filters for trips to Europe from many large markets, including China, Turkey, India, Morocco, and part of the African countries. If applications increase, it means not only a higher interest in European cities, resorts, events, and business trips, but also additional pressure on consulates, visa centers, airlines, and tour operators.
What Exactly the New European Commission Statistics Showed
According to the European Commission, in 2025, Schengen Area countries issued over 10 million visas. This is approximately 3% more than in 2024, when 9.7 million visas were issued. But the comparison with 2019 remains modest: then about 15 million Schengen visas were issued. That is, the number of permits for short trips to Europe has grown, but has not yet recovered to the previous scale of international mobility.
The global refusal rate, according to the European Commission, remained at 14.8% - the same as in 2024. This is an important detail for travelers: the overall share of refusals has not increased, but it has not become lower either. In practice, this means that applicants should continue to prepare documents carefully, not rely on the formal growth of tourist flow and not perceive the Schengen visa as an automatic procedure.
The most applications in 2025 were submitted by citizens of China, Turkey, India, Russia, and Morocco. China led the list with approximately 1.8 million applications, Turkey submitted about 1.25 million, India - approximately 1.15 million. Russia and Morocco also remained among the largest markets of applicants. These countries largely determine the load on European consular networks, as well as the demand for flights, hotels, group tours, and city tourism during the high season.
Why Demand is Growing, but Recovery is Still Incomplete
The gradual growth of applications fits logically into the broader picture of international travel recovery. Europe remains one of the most popular tourist regions in the world, and a Schengen visa allows visiting several countries in one trip. For travelers from distant markets, this is a strong advantage: one itinerary can combine Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Frankfurt, Barcelona, or Vienna without separate border procedures between most of these countries.
However, the lag behind 2019 indicates that the full return of demand is still hindered by several factors. Among them are higher airfare costs, changes in route networks, more cautious planning of long trips, economic pressure on households, as well as the difficulty of obtaining visa slots in some countries. For tourists, this means that a trip to Europe in 2026 should start not with the choice of a hotel, but with checking the actual deadlines for submitting documents.
This is especially true for the summer season, Christmas markets, major sporting and cultural events, as well as popular destinations for the first Schengen trip. If a consulate in a certain country operates with a large number of applications, free dates in visa centers may disappear faster than cheap air tickets. In such a situation, tourists risk buying a flight or hotel before they can actually submit documents.
Multiple-Entry Visas: Why Their Share Matters
The European Commission also reported that of the over 10 million visas issued in 2025, 51.2% were multiple-entry. In 2024, this figure was 52.2%, meaning the share of multiple-entry visas decreased slightly. For travelers, this is a subtle but practically important indicator. A multiple-entry visa allows planning not one isolated trip, but several short visits to the Schengen Area during its validity period, provided the 90-day rule within a 180-day period is observed.
For the tourism business, multiple-entry visas also matter. They support repeat trips, spontaneous city-breaks, short business visits, transit overnight stays, and combined itineraries. If the share of such visas does not grow, part of the potential demand remains less flexible: tourists choose one trip more carefully, less often add a second weekend, and more often postpone travel due to repeated bureaucracy.
At the same time, the presence of a multiple-entry visa does not cancel border requirements. A border officer may ask for proof of the purpose of the trip, booking, return ticket, insurance, or financial support. Therefore, tourists should keep a basic package of documents not only for the consulate but also for the first entry within a specific trip.
What EES and ETIAS Change for Those Traveling to Europe
Visa statistics are released at a time when Europe is already restructuring the control system at external borders. According to the Council of the EU, the Entry/Exit System became fully operational on April 10, 2026. It records the entry and exit of third-country nationals traveling to the Schengen Area for a short stay, and replaces the old practice of manually stamping passports with a digital record with biometric data.
For Schengen visa holders, this means that the visa itself remains a condition for entry, but digital registration now plays an important role at the border. During the first crossing after the system launch, the traveler must be ready for passport scanning, facial photography, and fingerprinting. After this, subsequent checks should be faster, although the actual speed depends on the airport, the number of passengers, and the availability of automated procedures.
Separately, it is worth remembering about ETIAS. The official Travel Europe website, administered by EU structures, states that the ETIAS system is expected to start in the last quarter of 2026. It will concern not those who already need a Schengen visa, but citizens of countries with a visa-free regime for short trips to 30 European countries. After launch, such travelers will have to obtain electronic authorization before the trip.
This is important for travel companies and independent travelers because two different logics will operate in Europe simultaneously. Citizens of countries requiring a visa will undergo the classic consular procedure and then registration in EES at the border. Citizens of visa-free countries, after the launch of ETIAS, will submit an online application for authorization, and at the border, they will also enter the digital entry-exit system. These regimes should not be confused: ETIAS is not a Schengen visa and does not replace it for those who need a visa.
How This Will Affect Popular Routes to Europe
The largest European air hubs are the first to feel any change in visa and border regimes. For travelers planning a trip via Paris - Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, Amsterdam Schiphol or Rome-Fiumicino, the practical conclusion is simple: it is better to allow extra time for transfers, passport control, and the first entry into the Schengen Area.
This is especially relevant for passengers flying from non-EU countries and having a transfer within Schengen. If the first point of arrival is Paris, Frankfurt, or Amsterdam, that is usually where border control occurs before the further flight to another Schengen city. If the system works quickly, the trip may not change significantly. But on peak load days or for passengers registering in EES for the first time, a short connection may become risky.
A separate material has already been published on the site about how the first EES data show real changes for tourists in 2026. The new Schengen visa statistics complement this picture: demand for Europe is returning, but the new control infrastructure must withstand not only passengers from visa-free countries, but also millions of applicants passing through the consular system.
What Tourists Should Do Now
The main advice for trips to Europe in 2026 is to plan earlier than before the pandemic. If you need a Schengen visa, check not only the list of documents, but also the availability of dates in the visa center, processing times, and the rules of the consulate of the main country of travel. If the itinerary covers several countries, the application is usually submitted to the country of main stay or first entry, if the main country cannot be determined.
- Do not buy non-refundable tickets and hotels before you understand the actual deadlines of the visa procedure.
- Check your passport: it must be valid long enough for the trip and meet the requirements of the entry country.
- Keep confirmation of bookings, insurance, itinerary, and financial support until the end of the trip.
- For the first entry after the full launch of EES, allow more time for passport control.
- If you are a citizen of a country with a visa-free regime to Schengen, follow the official launch of ETIAS in the last quarter of 2026.
Tour operators and agencies should update their consultations for clients. The old scenario, where the main risk was only the document package, is no longer complete. Now, this is joined by the availability of visa slots, digital registration at the border, the future ETIAS for visa-free tourists, and greater attention to the correct determination of the country of submission.
Conclusion
The European Commission's data show a cautiously positive but not problem-free picture. Schengen travel is recovering: applications and issued visas have increased, key markets are again generating millions of trips, and Europe remains a magnet for tourists. However, the 2019 level is still far off, the refusal rate is not decreasing, and multiple-entry visas are not becoming noticeably more accessible.
For the traveler, this means one thing: Europe is open, but the trip requires discipline in planning. In 2026, a successful trip to the Schengen Area depends not only on the price of the air ticket or the choice of a hotel, but also on how timely the visa is issued, the itinerary is correctly constructed, and the new digital entry rules are taken into account. For the tourism market, this is a signal that demand is returning, but competition for convenience, speed, and clear travel rules becomes as important as competition for the tourists themselves.