In 2023, Moroccans and Algerians continued to lead as the top two nationalities seeking visas for entry into France. According to Schengen.News, Moroccans submitted 310,000 visa applications, surpassing Algerians who filed 279,000 requests. The list of top ten visa applicants to France in 2023 includes Moroccans, Algerians, Chinese, Indians, Saudis, Turks, Brits, Russians, Tunisians, and Ivorians.
Schengen Statistics data highlights notable shifts in top visa applicants for 2023, including the resurgence of Chinese applicants, displacing Lebanese from the top ten list, and Indians moving up to the fourth rank.
France emerged as the destination for 76% of visa applications from nationals of Cote d’Ivoire, with 54,000 out of 71,000 visa requests directed towards the country, indicating a significant preference among Ivorians for France.
Ivorians, Moroccans, and Algerians exhibited particularly high interest in applying for Schengen visas in France. Approximately 60% of all Algerian applications and 52.4% of Moroccan applications were submitted to France, along with 53.7% from Tunisia.
In 2023, Moroccans alone accounted for 11.8% of all visa applications received by France, while applications from the top ten countries comprised 65% of the total.
France experienced a substantial increase in visa applications in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a surge from 1.9 million to 2.6 million, marking a 73% increase.
UK applicants had the highest approval rate at 95.1%, with 123,000 out of 130,000 visa applications approved in 2023. Chinese nationals also had a high likelihood of obtaining a Schengen visa from France, with a 92.9% approval rate out of 271,000 visa applications.
Approval rates were also notable for other nationalities: 92% for Saudis, 89% for Russians, 84% for Turks, and approximately 83.3% for Indians and Tunisians. However, Ivorians and Algerians had the lowest approval rates, at 66.6% and 67.2%, respectively.