Spain has received 1.6 million Schengen visa applications in 2024, up by 15.6 per cent from 1.4 million recorded in the previous year.
According to statistics published by SchengenVisaInfoSpain becoming the second country with the most visa applicants was largely driven by a surge of 71.3 per cent in Chinese applicants, who filed 254,571 applications to Spain alone, Schengen.News reports.
In 2023, Chinese applicants submitted around 148,533 applications for a Spanish Schengen visa. That was 13.2 per cent of all applications that Chinese applicants filed during that year.
In 2024, about 254,571 were submitted for Spain visas, representing a share of 14.3 per cent of all visa applications that Chinese applicants made last year.
Spain Was the Top Destination for Visa Applicants From 25 Countries
As data reveal, Spain has been the top destination for visa applicants from 25 countries, with most visa applications filed in the consulates of these countries being directed to Spain.
However, it is worth noting that nationals of many of these countries do not have a visa regime with Spain, meaning that passport holders of these countries can enter Spain visa-free for a period of 90 days every 180 days.
On the other hand, foreign nationals who hold passports of other countries that do not have visa liberalisation with the Schengen zone are required to apply for a Schengen visa. Foreigners can do so at visa application centres or consulate offices that are located in their country of residence.
For example, Argentinian passport holders do not need to apply for a Schengen visa to enter Spain or any other Schengen state. However, a national of Algeria living in Argentina is required to apply for a visa in order to enter Spain. These applications can be filed at Spanish consulates located in Argentina.
Spain was the top recipient country for Schengen visas filed by foreign residents living in these visa-exempt countries:
- Israel – 12,343 visa applications were directed to Spain, or about 42.9 per cent of 28,711 total applications that were submitted in this country.
- Serbia – 2,591 or 14.27 per cent of 18,149 total applications.
- Mexico – 956 (37.4 per cent) of 2,552 total applications
- Chile – 537 (29.8 per cent) of 1,796 applications
- Argentina – 596 (44.8 per cent) of 1,328 applications
- Panama – 999 (77.7 per cent) of 1,285 applications
- Peru – 252 (21.3 per cent) of 1,179 applications
- Venezuela – 430 (83 per cent) of 518 applications
- Costa Rica – 292 (71.3 per cent) of 409 applications
- Guatemala – 196 (53.8 per cent) of 364 applications
- Uruguay – 170 (62.5 per cent) of 272 applications
- Andorra – 100 per cent of applications (264)
- Paraguay – 91 (67.9 per cent) of 134 applications
- Honduras – 63 (81.8 per cent) of 77 applications
- El Salvador – 38 (74.5 per cent) of 51 applications
- Nicaragua – 28 (70 per cent) of 40 applications
As per countries without a visa-exempt deal, Spain was the first destination for nationals of the following:
- Equatorial Guinea – 8,701 (86.6 per cent) of 10,047 total applications
- Jamaica – 3,479 (62.8 per cent) of 5,533 total applications
- Guinea-Bissau – 2,796 (64.4 per cent) of 4,336 total applications
- Niger – 100 per cent of 2,460 applications filed by nationals of these country were for Spain.
Spain received 1.4 million visa applications in 2023, ranking as the third country for applications submitted. This number increased to 1.6 million in 2024, and the top five nationalities to file the most visa requests were Chinese (254,571), Moroccans (216,985), Russians (125,551), Algerians (123,991), and foreign residents in the United Kingdom (123,058).