Schengen Visa from Pakistan 2026: Fee €90, Documents and 45.9% Refusal Rate

By Daniyal Sheikh | 13 November 2026

Pakistani passport holders need a Schengen visa before travelling to Europe. There is no visa-free entry and no visa on arrival. The visa costs €90 for adults, the standard decision takes 15 calendar days, and it covers all 29 Schengen countries for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The hard truth comes first. In 2025, consulates in Pakistan received 89,270 short-stay Schengen applications and did not issue 40,026 of them: a refusal rate of 45.9 per cent, against 14.6 per cent worldwide. The rate fell from 47.5 per cent in 2024, but Pakistan remains one of the hardest places in the world to get a Schengen visa from. A complete, consistent file is not a luxury here. It is the whole game.

This guide covers the fee, the documents, where to apply for each of the five countries Pakistanis apply to most, the new Entry/Exit System at the border, why applications from Pakistan get refused, and what to do if yours is refused. Where sources disagree on a figure, the guide says so.

Schengen Visa from Pakistan: Key Facts

The 45.9 Per Cent Refusal Rate: What It Really Means

The figure comes from the European Commission itself. Its 2025 visa statistics for consulates, published on 28 May 2026, record 89,270 short-stay applications lodged in Pakistan, 45,970 visas issued and 40,026 not issued. The refusal rate is the Commission not-issued rate: visas not issued as a share of all decisions. It fell from 47.5 per cent in 2024, a small improvement, but it is still more than three times the worldwide rate of 14.6 per cent.

One detail matters. The Commission counts applications by the country where they were lodged, not by the applicant nationality. These figures cover consulates in Pakistan, so they also include residents of Pakistan holding other passports. They are the closest official measure available, and every serious guide uses them.

The rate is not the same for every destination. In 2025, the five countries Pakistanis applied to most were Germany with 18,792 applications and a 24.2 per cent refusal rate, the Netherlands with 13,108 applications and 53.4 per cent, Spain with 12,296 and 55.5 per cent, Italy with 10,809 and 39.2 per cent, and France with 9,503 and 37.3 per cent. Germany refused less than a quarter of its applicants from Pakistan. Spain and the Netherlands refused more than half.

Do not read that as a ranking of easy countries. The applicant mix differs: Germany gets more business travellers with invitations and travel history, while Spain and the Netherlands get more first-time tourists. The refusal rate describes a pile of decisions, not your application. But it does tell you where the bar sits, and it tells you that a weak file in Spain or the Netherlands faces long odds.

The rate also reached politics. In October 2026, Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, told The Express Tribune during a visit to Pakistan that the refusal rate was approaching 50 per cent, while discussing document quality and difficulties in getting appointments. That was a rounded political description, not a new statistic. The official 2025 figure remains 45.9 per cent.

Which Country to Apply To

You do not choose the country with the lowest refusal rate. EU law chooses it for you. Under Article 5 of the Visa Code, you apply to the Schengen country where you will spend the most nights. If you split your stay equally between two or more countries, you apply to the country of first entry.

Applying to the wrong country is itself a refusal ground. If your itinerary centres on Paris but you apply to Italy because a friend said Italy is easier, the embassy can see it from your hotel bookings, and the file can be refused for purpose not justified. A strong application to the right country beats a weak application to the supposedly easy one every time.

The 29 Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. One visa covers all of them, and the 90 days are shared across the whole area, not counted per country. Ireland and Cyprus are not in Schengen, so this visa does not cover them.

Where to Apply in Pakistan

Each country runs its own route in Pakistan, and the routes changed in 2026, so older guides are wrong on this point. Start on the embassy own website and follow its link to the appointment partner. Never book through a link forwarded on WhatsApp.

Germany. Apply directly at the German Embassy in Islamabad if you live in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Azad Jammu and Kashmir, or at the Consulate General in Karachi if you live in Sindh or Balochistan. Register on the free online waiting list, known as RK-Termin, and the mission allocates appointments in chronological order.

The German missions own website says plainly that you do not need an agent to register, and registration is free. Use the Videx online form. The mission says short-stay visas usually take about 14 calendar days.

One conflict to flag. Several guides still say Germany routes applications through VFS Global or TLScontact. The German missions own short-stay page, checked in November 2026, describes only the direct embassy route with the waiting list. Follow the official page. The VFS and TLScontact claims are stale.

France. Complete the application on France-Visas, then book an appointment through AEG Travel Services, the scheduling partner named on the France-Visas Pakistan page. The interview and biometrics take place only at the French Embassy in Islamabad. The Consulate General in Karachi does not accept visa applications, so a Karachi applicant still travels to Islamabad.

France-Visas advises allowing at least 15 to 20 days after the interview for a decision, plus the wait for an AEG appointment. AEG charges a small service fee per file, reported by one guide as €7 at the Islamabad office and €10 elsewhere; confirm the current amount on the AEG site before you go.

Italy. Apply through VFS Global, using the shared Gerry drop-box, in Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore. Italy also takes applications in Faisalabad, Multan and Quetta.

Spain. Apply through BLS International in Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore. Spain must be your main destination or your first point of entry if nights are equal.

Netherlands. Apply through VFS Global in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad. The Dutch government site, NetherlandsWorldwide, publishes the document list and the €55 per day funds figure used in this guide.

Consular jurisdiction is split by province for several countries. Germany and Italy, for example, take Sindh and Balochistan residents in Karachi and the rest in Islamabad. Check the jurisdiction rule for your country before booking, or the file can be returned as inadmissible.

Documents and Fees

Schengen consulates in Pakistan work from the EU harmonised list of supporting documents for Pakistan, Commission decision C(2018) 6863. The list is the same skeleton for every country, and each embassy adds its own details. The table below is the full checklist. Submit originals where asked, with copies, and make sure every document tells the same story: same dates, same names, same itinerary.

Two money figures need a note. First, the rupee amount of the €90 fee is not fixed. Guides checked in late 2026 quote anything from about PKR 26,500 to PKR 31,000 for the same €90, because each centre sets its own exchange rate on the day. Confirm the exact rupee total when your appointment is booked, and bring the exact amount in cash where the centre asks for it.

Second, the daily funds figure differs by country. The Netherlands publishes about €55 per day. Other guides quote €50 to €70 per day as a general range, and some quote €100 per day. There is no single official number for all 29 countries. Check your destination embassy page for its figure, and show comfortably more than the minimum in accessible funds, with the source of the money visible in the statements.

Your passport is the first document to check. Pakistan has stopped issuing machine-readable passports in favour of e-passports, so check which document you hold and renew it in time. If your CNIC needs renewal, sort it out first, because the FRC and your identity documents must match the passport.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Pick your main destination. Count the nights. The country with the most nights decides where you apply. Equal nights means the country of first entry.

2. Check the embassy page for your country. Read the document list and the appointment route. Do not start from an agent website.

3. Book the appointment. Germany uses the free RK-Termin waiting list. France uses France-Visas plus AEG. Italy and the Netherlands use VFS Global. Spain uses BLS International. Slots for popular destinations fill weeks or months ahead, so book before buying non-refundable tickets.

4. Prepare the file. Work through the table above. Every date, name and booking must agree across the form, the cover letter, the itinerary, the flights and the hotels.

5. Attend in person. Give ten fingerprints and a digital photo at the centre or embassy. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints. Fingerprints already in the Visa Information System can be reused for up to 59 months, just under five years, but the consulate can still ask you to give them again.

6. Pay the fee. €90 for adults, plus the centre service fee, in PKR at the counter. Keep the receipt.

7. Wait for the decision. The standard time is 15 calendar days from the day the file reaches the consulate. It can stretch to 45 days in complex cases, and longer in peak season. Do not chase the embassy for updates before the standard time has passed.

8. Collect your passport. Check the visa sticker before you leave the counter: the dates, the number of entries and the duration of stay. The sticker controls your trip, and it may authorise fewer than 90 days.

EES in 2026, and ETIAS Does Not Apply to You

The Entry/Exit System, EES, is the biggest border change in years, and it does not change your visa application at all. EES is a digital record of entries, exits and refusals of entry for non-EU nationals on short stays. It replaces the ink stamp in your passport with a database entry: your passport details, a facial image and your fingerprints, recorded at the border when you arrive.

The system began a progressive rollout on 12 October 2025 and the European Commission declared it fully operational at all Schengen external borders on 10 April 2026.

On your first crossing under EES, the biometric enrolment takes a few extra minutes, so allow more time at the airport. On later trips, the check is quicker: the system verifies you against your existing record. Your EES record is kept for three years after your last exit, or five years where an overstay is recorded. Children under 12 have their photo taken but are exempt from fingerprinting.

There is no EES application, no online portal and no fee. Anyone selling you an EES registration is selling you nothing.

EES also does not change the 90 days in any 180-day rule. What it changes is enforcement: your days are now counted by a computer from your recorded entries and exits, so a missing stamp no longer helps anyone, and an overstay is far harder to do by accident. Overstaying is recorded and visible to every Schengen consulate on your next application.

ETIAS is a different system, and it does not apply to Pakistanis. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is a pre-travel authorisation for nationals of visa-exempt countries only. Pakistan is not on the EU visa-exempt list, so a full Schengen visa is required instead, and ETIAS will have no impact on Pakistani travellers.

ETIAS is also not in operation as of November 2026. The EU dropped its late-2026 launch target in July 2026 and has announced no new start date, with reporting pointing to 2027 at the earliest. When it does launch, the fee will be €20. If an agent charges you for ETIAS, walk away.

Why Pakistani Applications Get Refused

Every refusal comes on the same EU standard form, Annex VI of the Visa Code, with numbered grounds from Article 32. The embassy ticks one or more boxes. The EU publishes totals, not a breakdown by ground for Pakistan, so there is no official ranking. In the refusal letters reviewed by visa guides in Pakistan, five grounds come up far more often than the others, frequently ticked together.

Ground 2 and 10: purpose and conditions not justified, or not reliable. The itinerary, bookings, invitation or cover letter do not convince, or do not match. Typical causes are a vague cover letter, a hotel booking for the wrong country, an itinerary that does not match the main destination, or an invitation from a host whose status is not proven. The fix is a specific day-by-day itinerary that makes geographic sense, with accommodation matching the country you applied to.

Ground 3 and 4: insufficient means, or no proof you can lawfully acquire them. Funds too low, or the source of the money is not shown. Common problems are a large deposit just before applying with no explanation, a balance that does not match declared income or tax returns, no salary slips or business evidence behind the balance, and a sponsor letter without the sponsor own financial evidence.

The fix is six months of statements where salary credits are visible, tax returns that match the income you declare, and an explanation with proof for any large deposit.

Ground 12: doubts about the authenticity of documents. Bank statements, employer letters or certificates the embassy cannot verify. The German missions in Pakistan specifically flag large cash deposits made immediately before the application date. Never submit a document you cannot stand behind. Edited statements and unverifiable employer letters are treated as dishonesty, not as paperwork errors, and they damage later applications too.

Ground 13: doubts about your intention to leave before the visa expires. The famous weak ties ground. Embassies look for a stable job with approved leave, a running business with tax records, family who stay behind, property, and past travel with on-time returns. A young, single, first-time applicant with a short employment history needs especially strong evidence here.

Families who need a domicile certificate for other paperwork can read our domicile certificate guide, which covers the same Union Council paperwork that often supports a ties-to-Pakistan file.

Ground 16: no adequate travel medical insurance. The easiest ground to avoid. The policy must cover at least €30,000, be valid in all Schengen states, and cover the whole stay including repatriation. A policy with the wrong dates, or one that covers only some countries, gets the file refused.

Refused? Appeal or Reapply

Article 32(3) of the Visa Code gives every refused applicant the right to appeal, but the appeal runs under the national law of the country that refused you, and your refusal letter must tell you how and by when. Always follow the instructions and deadline on your own letter, not a general guide.

For the countries Pakistanis apply to most, the routes are: Germany ended its voluntary remonstration procedure on 1 July 2025, so the remaining remedy is the court action described on your letter, or a fresh application with a stronger file. France takes a prior appeal, known as RAPO, to the Deputy Director of Visas at the Ministry of the Interior within 30 days of notification, then the administrative court of Nantes within 2 months if the RAPO is rejected.

Italy takes an appeal to the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio, through a lawyer, within 60 days of notification. Spain takes an appeal for reconsideration to the consular office that refused, within 1 month of the day after notification, or judicial review at the High Court of Justice of Madrid within 2 months.

The Netherlands takes an objection, known as bezwaar, to the IND within 4 weeks of the date on the letter.

Appeals are slow, often months, and success rates are low, around 10 to 15 per cent according to visa guides. An appeal makes sense when the consulate made a clear factual error, for example saying you had no insurance when your file contained a valid policy.

For almost everyone else, the better route is to fix what caused the refusal and reapply. There is no mandatory waiting period. You can reapply the next day, but submitting the same file again almost guarantees the same result. Address the ticked ground, strengthen the weak documents, and reapply with a cover letter that acknowledges the previous refusal.

A refusal is recorded in the Visa Information System under Article 32(5), so every Schengen embassy can see it. It does not ban you from applying again, and many applicants are approved after fixing the reason.

But you must declare it whenever a form asks. German missions in Pakistan ask for copies of previous refusals and treat non-disclosure as fraud, and the UK and Canadian forms also ask about refusals by any country. An honest, explained refusal is far less damaging than a hidden one. Switching to another Schengen country only to avoid the earlier decision can itself raise doubts about your purpose.

Mistakes and Agent Traps

Most refused files fail on avoidable errors. Check this list before you submit.

Do not pay an agent who promises a guaranteed visa. No agent can influence a consulate decision, and several embassies warn against agents directly. Germany says its waiting list registration is free and needs no agent. France says appointments are issued only to the applicant or a blood relative, first come first served, and tells applicants not to use agents.

Do not buy a dummy ticket or a fake hotel booking. Embassies check bookings, and a booking that exists only for the visa is a ground 10 refusal. Use a real, verifiable flight reservation and real hotel bookings you can actually stay in.

Do not inflate your bank balance the week before applying. A sudden large deposit with no source is the single most flagged pattern in Pakistani files. Consistent monthly credits matching your declared salary carry far more weight than a recently inflated balance.

Do not apply to the wrong country, do not hide a previous refusal, and do not submit a document you cannot verify. Each of these turns a weak file into a dishonest one, and dishonesty follows you in the Visa Information System.

Finally, do not pay anyone for ETIAS, and do not pay anyone for EES registration. Neither applies to your application in the way agents claim. The only fees are the €90 visa fee and the centre service fee, paid at the counter against a receipt.

FAQs: Schengen Visa from Pakistan

How much is the Schengen visa fee from Pakistan?

€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to under 12, free for children under 6. The fee has been €90 since 11 June 2024 and is the same for every Schengen country. It is non-refundable, even if the visa is refused. The visa centre adds its own service fee on top, which varies by country. The rupee amount is set by each centre on the day, so confirm it when your appointment is booked.

How long does a Schengen visa take from Pakistan?

The standard decision time is 15 calendar days from the day the file reaches the consulate, and it can stretch to 45 days in complex cases. Germany says about 14 calendar days. France advises allowing 15 to 20 days after the interview, plus the wait for an AEG appointment. Apply no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before travel.

Can I apply for any Schengen country at any centre in Pakistan?

No. You must apply to the country where you will spend the most nights, or the country of first entry if nights are equal. Each country has its own route in Pakistan: Germany direct at the embassy, France through France-Visas and AEG, Italy and the Netherlands through VFS Global, Spain through BLS International. Applying at the wrong operator gets the file returned as inadmissible.

Do Pakistanis need ETIAS for Europe?

No. ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation for nationals of visa-exempt countries only, and Pakistan is not on the EU visa-exempt list. A full Schengen visa is required instead. ETIAS is also not in operation as of November 2026, with no start date announced.

What is EES and does it change my visa application?

The Entry/Exit System is a digital border record that replaced passport stamps. It records your face and fingerprints at the border on your first crossing. It does not change your visa application: there is nothing to apply for and nothing to pay. It does mean your 90 days are now counted by a computer, so an overstay is recorded and visible on your next application.

What is the Schengen visa refusal rate for Pakistanis?

45.9 per cent in 2025, according to the European Commission: 40,026 of 87,247 decisions at consulates in Pakistan were not issued. The rate was 47.5 per cent in 2024. By country in 2025: Germany 24.2 per cent, France 37.3 per cent, Italy 39.2 per cent, the Netherlands 53.4 per cent and Spain 55.5 per cent. The worldwide rate was 14.6 per cent.

Can I reapply after a Schengen refusal?

Yes. The Visa Code sets no waiting period, so you can reapply straight away. But a new application with the same documents will usually meet the same result, because the embassy can see your earlier refusal in the Visa Information System. Reapply only after you have fixed the specific grounds ticked on your letter, and declare the refusal on the new application.

How much money should I show for a Schengen visa?

There is no single official figure for all 29 countries. The Netherlands publishes about €55 per day. Other guides quote €50 to €70 per day as a general range, and some quote €100 per day. Show comfortably more than the minimum in accessible funds, with six months of bank statements where your salary credits are visible, and tax returns that match the income you declare.

Updated 13 November 2026. Fees, refusal rates and procedures are from the European Commission 2025 visa statistics, the EU Visa Code, and the German, French and Dutch official pages checked in November 2026. Appointment partners and rupee amounts change, so confirm the current route and fee on the embassy or centre website before you apply.