Germany vs Italy: Which Country Is More Popular Among Schengen Visa Applicants?

Germany and Italy continue to rank among the top choices for travelers applying for Schengen visas. Yet in 2024, Germany attracted more visa applicants, while Italy showed higher approval rates.

Germany Leads in Application Numbers

According to SchengenVisaInfo, Germany received over 1.5 million Schengen visa applications in 2024. Despite these impressive figures, Germany was overtaken by Spain, which became the second-most popular country for visa requests. Altogether, Schengen states received approximately 11.7 million applications in 2024.

Italy recorded around 1.2 million applications in the same year, marking an increase compared to previous periods. This positions Germany and Italy as the third and fourth-largest recipients of Schengen visa applications in 2024.

Who Applies Most for Germany and Italy?

Chinese and Turkish nationals remain the top applicants in both countries:

Chinese citizens filed 263,088 applications for German Schengen visas.

Turkish nationals submitted around 215,506 applications to German consulates.

Next are Indians with 142,955 applications, followed by Egyptians (52,442) and Belarusians (51,841).

Italy’s figures look slightly different:

Chinese nationals filed 227,293 visa applications.

Russians ranked second with 161,401 applications.

Türkiye accounted for 117,432 applications, while Indian nationals submitted 60,365. Saudi nationals complete the top five with 50,410 applications.

Where Are Approval Rates Higher?

Interestingly, Italy has higher visa approval rates, especially for certain nationalities. In 2024, Italy issued visas as follows:

Belarusians: 49,588 approved out of 49,712 applications (99.75%).

U.S. citizens: 99.09% approval rate.

Japanese nationals: 98.97%.

Singaporeans: 98.88%.

Australians: 98.72%.

Germany, on the other hand, granted the most approvals for:

Hong Kong applicants — 2,333 visas (99.53%).

Madagascar nationals — 97.33%.

Belarusians — 97.33%.

Singaporeans — 96.55%.

Chinese nationals — 96.36%.

So while Germany attracts more visa applicants overall, Italy appears more likely to say “yes.”

Germany and Italy remain top destinations for Schengen visa seekers. For travelers, this data highlights an important point: the country where you submit your visa application can influence not only processing times but also your chances of approval.