The amount lost by Moroccans in 2021 for refused applications for Schengen visas is estimated at nearly 3 million euros, said the Schengen visa information website, www.schengenvisainfo.com, noting that more than 157,000 applications were filed during this period.
According to the same source, Morocco is the fifth country with the largest number of applications, behind Russia (536,241), Turkey (271,977), Ukraine (194,246) and Saudi Arabia (173,485). Among these countries, Morocco has the highest rejection rate, with 27.6% of applications rejected, while the rate for the other countries was 3.2%, 16.9%, 2.7% and 4.3%, respectively.
According to Besart Bajrami, founder of SchengenVisaInfo.com, “given that the fee for a Schengen visa application is €80 and is non-refundable, this means that Moroccans have spent at least €3 million on visas they never received.
He added that “the collection of documents for a Schengen visa is also expensive for applicants, in addition to the visa fee. “Applicants also had to pay for travel insurance, and often book hotels and flights with non-refundable fees,” he added.
