Travellers applying for Schengen visas in Kenya had a tougher time securing entry permits in 2025, as the number of applications that did not result in visas rose above the worldwide rate.
Data from the European Commission shows that 25,227 of the 76,271 decisions made by Schengen consulates in Kenya were not issued, leaving the country with a 33.1 per cent not-issued rate.
The figure means that roughly one out of every three applications decided in Kenya did not result in a visa.
Kenya’s rate was more than double the global figure of 14.6 per cent recorded in 2025. Worldwide, more than 12 million applications were submitted for Schengen visas during the year, while more than 10 million visas were granted.
The global rate also marked a small improvement from 2024, when 14.8 per cent of applications were not issued visas.
Kenya, however, moved in the opposite direction.
The country recorded a not-issued rate of about 29.1 per cent in 2024, before rising to 33.1 per cent the following year.
At the same time, Schengen consulates in Kenya dealt with nearly 18 per cent more visa decisions in 2025. The rise in the number of applications points to increased demand from people seeking to travel to Europe, even as a larger share failed to secure visas.
The figures, released by the Migration and Home Affairs Directorate, also show major differences in how applications fared at the various Schengen consulates in Nairobi.
Applicants did not face the same outcome depending on the country they were seeking to visit.
The Czech consulate had a not-issued rate of 16.7 per cent, the lowest among the figures provided, followed closely by Spain at 16.9 per cent.
Switzerland recorded 18.7 per cent, while the Netherlands stood at 19.4 per cent and Italy at 19.9 per cent.
The rate rose to 23.5 per cent for Greece, 26.2 per cent for France and 29 per cent for Germany.
Several other countries recorded rates around 40 per cent or higher. Sweden’s rate was about 40 per cent, while Belgium recorded more than 40 per cent and Hungary about 40 per cent.
Norway recorded the highest figure among the Schengen consulates in Nairobi.
Out of 9,565 applications handled by the Norwegian consulate, 60.9 per cent did not result in visas.
The figure was a major change from the previous year, when Norway’s not-issued rate stood at 35.6 per cent. This represented an increase of more than 25 percentage points in one year.
Despite the differences between the consulates, the EU did not give reasons for the high number of applications that were not issued visas.
Sweden processed the largest number of applications among the individual Schengen consulates in Nairobi, handling about 15,699 applications in 2025.
Despite having the highest workload, Sweden’s not-issued rate was roughly 40 per cent.
The European Union has also cautioned against reading the figures as a measure of how often Kenyan citizens are denied Schengen visas across the world.
The statistics only cover decisions made by Schengen consulates located in Kenya and do not measure the refusal rate of Kenyan nationals who submit applications in other countries.