Moroccans represent one of the nationality groups with the highest number of visa applications from the African continent.
According to statistics published by SchengenVisaInfoMoroccans filed 606,800 applications for Schengen visas in 2024, ranking fourth for most visa applications, right behind China, Turkiye, and India, Schengen.News reports.
Historically, France has been the number one destination for Schengen visa applicants from Morocco, but in recent years, Spain has become more popular, receiving thousands of visa requests from Moroccan nationals.
Similarly to Moroccans, Algerians are also increasingly showing interest in obtaining visas from Spain, although France is a primary destination for this nationality group. Algerians represent the sixth largest group for the number of visa applications submitted – 544,634.
France Remains a Top Destination, But Maybe Not for Long
As the data reveal, Moroccans filed 606,800 applications in 2024, and applications for France reached 282,153. This means that 46.5 per cent of all applications that Moroccans filed in 2024 were for French visas.
In 2023, Moroccans filed 591,401 applications, and 310,057 were for French visas. This indicates that fewer people have applied for French visas in this one-year period, as applications for visas represented 46.5 per cent of applications compared to 52.43 per cent recorded in 2023.
On the other hand, the interest of Moroccans in Spanish visas has increased, with this type of visa representing 32 per cent of visa applications in 2023, increasing to 35.76 per cent in 2024. In other words, Moroccans filed 189,126 applications for Spanish visas in 2023, while this number rose to 216,985 in 2024.
As per Algerians, their interest in applying for French visas has increased from 58.86 per cent in 2023 to 64.68 per cent in 2024. However, the interest in applying for Spanish visas has decreased from 26.9 per cent to 22.77 per cent.
Algerians filed 544,634 visa applications in total, 352,295 (64.7 per cent) of which were for French visas and 123,991 (22.7 per cent) for Spanish visas.
What stands out is that although Algerians remain loyal to France, they are increasingly applying for Schengen visas in other countries, not just Spain, diversifying their choices significantly.
On the other hand, Algerians and Moroccans are the second and third largest nationality groups with the most visa applications, after Chinese applicants. About 11.47 per cent of visa applications filed by Algerians were received by France, while Moroccans filed 9.18 per cent of all applications that France received in 2024.