Spain is one of the 29 Schengen states that receives a high number of visa applications every year. Although there have been some fluctuations in the number of visa requests this country has received throughout the year, Spain has always been among the top three recipient countries.
According to statistics published by the SchengenVisaInfo, Spain was the second-most popular destination for visa applications in 2024following France with over three million applications and overcoming Germany, which received 1.5 million applications, Schengen.News reports.
Spain received 1.6 million visa applications in 2024, indicating that this is an important country for visa applicants.
As the data below shows, Spain was the first choice for many applicants, some of those being residents in countries that have a visa-liberalisation agreement with the Schengen Area, such as the case with foreigners living in the United Kingdom.
For example, a Dominican living in the United Kingdom has to apply for a Schengen visa if they want to enter Spain. Holders of the British passport, on the other hand, are exempted from the requirement to apply for a Schengen visa for a stay of up to 90 days every 180-day period.
Spain Received Highest Number of Applications From These 3 Nationalities
Out of a total of 1.6 million applications, the highest number of visa requests were filed by applicants from five countries, who submitted over 51 per cent of the applications (844,156) that Spain received in 2024.
The following list reveals the top countries with the highest numbers of applications for a Spanish visa in 2024:
- Chinese filed 254,571 visa applications for Spanish visas in 2024, representing 15.57 per cent of total applications Spain received and 14.3 per cent of all visa applications Chinese filed for Schengen visa applications for the year.
- Moroccans – 216,985 visa applications were for Spain, representing 15.57 per cent of applications Spain received and 35.76 per cent of applications filed by Moroccans.
- Russians – 125,551 applications; 7.68 per cent of received applications by Spain and 20.70 per cent of Russians’ applications for 2024.
Algerians follow as the fourth nationality group with the most visa applications for Spanish visas, with 123,991 applications and 7.58 per cent of the applications Spain received. That is about 22.77 per cent of Algerians’ applications filed throughout 2024.
Moreover, foreigners from the United Kingdom submitted 123,058 visa applications, representing the fifth group of applicants with the most requests for Spanish visas. About 7.53 per cent of Spain’s total applications that were received in 2024 were from foreigners living in the UK, whereas visa applications for Spain accounted for 26.15 per cent of all applications that foreigners from the UK filed for Schengen visas in 2024.
Spain Was Top Choice for Schengen Visa Applications for These 5 Nationalities in 2024
As per countries where Spain was the main destination, meaning it was the top recipient of their visa applications, countries without a Schengen visa-liberalisation agreement have filed most applications for Spanish visas.
These are the five nationalities among those who filed the most visa applications for Spain, which had the highest number of applications for Spanish visas in 2024:
- Ecuadorians filed 103,785, out of which 76,692 were for Spanish visas – 73.9 per cent of all applications for Schengen visas recorded in 2024.
- Dominicans – 51,229 applications, out of which 29,578 (or 57.74 per cent) were for Spanish visas.
- Cubans – 48,625 applications, out of which 28,261 (or 58.12 per cent) were for Spanish visas.
- Bolivians – 20,270 applications, out of which 18,124 (or 89.41% per cent) were for Spanish visas.
- Mauritanians – 23,596 applications, out of which 17,740 (or 75.18 per cent) were for Spanish visas.
As applicants who had the highest visa application rates for Spain, nationals of Niger lead that list, as 100 per cent of the visa applications that this nationality group filed were for Spanish visas. The same occurred with foreigners in Andorra, as all 264 applications were submitted to Spanish authorities.