For many Africans, traveling to Europe for school, business, tourism, or family visits is a long-held goal. But in 2025, that goal has become harder than ever. Thousands of people from across the continent are seeing their visa applications denied—even after spending time, money, and effort preparing the paperwork.

At the center of this issue is the Schengen visa, which allows travel to 29 European countries with just one visa. These countries include France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and many others that are part of what is called the Schengen Area—a zone in Europe where people can move freely between countries without border checks.

Every Schengen visa application costs $100, a fee that is non-refundable. Whether your visa is approved or rejected, that money is gone. In 2024 alone, African applicants lost around $67.5 million due to rejected applications, according to the UK-based research group, the LAGO Collective.

“The poorer the country, the higher the rejection rate,” says Marta Foresti, founder of the group. “Africans are paying the richest countries in the world, only to be told no.”

Here are the top African countries with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates in 2024:

• Comoros – 62.8%
• Guinea-Bissau – 47.0%
• Senegal – 46.8%
• Nigeria – 45.9%
• Ghana – 45.5%
• Congo-Brazzaville – 43.0%
• Mali – Approx. 43%
• Guinea – 41.1%
• Burundi – 40.0%
• Ethiopia – 36.1%