A refusal always comes on a standard form set by the Visa Code. It is written in the language of the country that decided and in one more EU language, usually English, and the boxes ticked on it are the reasons. In 2024 consulates refused 14.8% of 11.7 million applications, according to the European Commission. Most of the boxes are about paperwork — which means most refusals can be fixed.
What the ticked boxes mean
| Reason on the form | What usually lies behind it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and conditions of the stay not justified | No programme or bookings, an invitation that does not match, an itinerary that points to another country | Reapply with a complete set and the right consulate |
| No proof of sufficient means, or of how you will obtain them | A thin bank statement, money with no visible source, no employer letter | Statements, employer letter, sponsor's documents |
| 90 days of the current 180 already used | Earlier trips used up the allowance | Wait until the window frees up |
| Entry ban in the Schengen Information System | An earlier overstay or removal | Ask the country that entered the ban for your data |
| Threat to public order, security or international relations | Often an objection by another Schengen country; the form must name it | The objection is challenged in that country |
| Information unreliable, or doubts about statements or documents | Cancelled bookings, a letter that cannot be checked, contradictions | Reapply only with genuine, checkable documents |
| Doubts that you will leave before the visa expires | Weak ties at home: job, family, property; earlier violations | Show ties and travel history |
| No adequate travel medical insurance | Cover below €30,000, not for all countries or dates | A new policy that meets the rules |
The insurance rules are explained in a separate guide; the choice of consulate — in the guide on the main destination.
Reapply or appeal
There is no waiting period: you can apply again the next day. The fee is paid again — €90, €45 for children aged 6 to 11 — and the fee for the refused application is not returned. When the reason is a missing or weak document, a new application with the gap closed is usually faster than any appeal.
An appeal makes sense when the consulate got the facts wrong: it ignored documents that were in the file or misread them. The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled that a visa may be refused only on the grounds in the Visa Code, but that consulates have wide discretion in judging them, especially doubts about returning home (Koushkaki, 2013). It has also confirmed that an applicant must have access to a court at some stage (El Hassani, 2017). If another country objected to your visa, the form names it, and that objection is challenged in that country. If one country decided on behalf of another, you appeal against the country that decided.
Where and by when
| Country | How to appeal |
|---|---|
| France | A written appeal to the visa sub-directorate of the Interior Ministry in Nantes within 30 days — required before going to court (service-public.fr). No answer in two months counts as a rejection; then the administrative court of Nantes within two months |
| Italy | The regional administrative court of Lazio in Rome within 60 days, through a lawyer (Italian Foreign Ministry) |
| Spain | A request for reconsideration to the same consulate within one month — it answers within a month, silence means no — or straight to the High Court of Justice of Madrid within two months, with a lawyer |
| Greece | No public procedure: the body and the deadline must be stated on your refusal form. If they are missing, ask the consulate in writing |
| Hungary | A written appeal within 8 days to the consular officer who decided; the Foreign Minister decides within 15 days. The appeal fee is €160 and is not refunded (Government Decree 35/2024) |
| Germany, for comparison | The objection procedure was abolished on 1 July 2025: a new application or a lawsuit at the Administrative Court of Berlin within one month |
Deadlines run from the day you receive the refusal, and they are short. If you are going to appeal, decide in the first week.
What stays after a refusal
The refusal is recorded in the Visa Information System and every Schengen consulate sees it for five years. The next consulate may ask the one that refused for details. This is not a ban: people get visas after refusals all the time — but the new application must show what has changed.
Before you apply again
- Read which boxes are ticked and fix exactly that, not everything at once.
- Check that the form, the letters and the bank statements tell one story: the same dates, amounts and purpose.
- Explain in the cover letter what is different now: a new employer letter, a sponsor, a confirmed programme.
- Apply to the competent consulate, not to the one that seems kinder.
Vizir reads the refusal form with you, helps decide between a new application and an appeal, and rebuilds the pack around the ticked reasons. A court appeal needs a lawyer in that country.