Schengen embassies in Jordan approved a high proportion of 81% of all visa applications collected during 2018, according to SchengenVisaInfo.com. The percentage reflects both Jordanians and none Jordanians applying to embassies in Amman.

According to the latest statistics, Schengen embassies in Jordan collected a total of 57,039 visa applications during 2018. Compared to a year ago when there had been collected 60,061 visa applications a slight decrease in the number of visa applications was noted. 

Of the total 57,039 Schengen visa applications in 2018, the number of granted visas was 46,305 which translates to 81% of visa applications were approved. 

The percentage share of Schengen visa denials in Jordan in 2018 was 16%. The Italian embassy ranked first for the highest number of denied visa, however in percentage terms Sweden declined the most. A proportion of 30% of 3,075 residents of Jordan that applied for a Schengen visa at the Swedish embassy were denied a visa. 

A Swedish embassy official told Ammannet that the refusal rate is not for residents in Jordan in 2018. “The 30 percent is for all applications handled by the Swedish Embassy in Amman and include applications also from, among others, citizens of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon as those applications were processed by the Swedish Embassy in Amman in 2018. The correct refusal rate for visa applications from Jordanian citizens in 2018 in the Embassy of Sweden in Amman is 25 percent.”

 The Swedish embassy official said that of all applications at the Embassy of Sweden in Amman the most common reason for applying in 2018 was family visits (56%) followed by tourism (16%) and business (14%).

Germany came first in the list of most popular Schengen countries for visa applicants in Jordan. Based on statistics, the German embassy in Amman received 9,576 visa applications during 2018. In turn, the embassy issued 8,615 visas and denied 961 of them. As such visa, visa denials rate at this embassy was at 10%, statistics read. 

A spokesman of the German Embassy Amman confirmed to AmmanNet that the embassy issued 8615 Schengen visas in 2018. “All successful applications had one thing in common: they were duly completed and all required documents were attached.” The German consular official said that from 1 March 2020, new rules for the immigration of skilled workers to Germany will come into force. The new law on the immigration of skilled workers expands the possibilities for qualified employees from Jordan to come to Germany for the purpose of taking up employment. Please click here for more information: https://amman.diplo.de/jo-ar/service/-/2281090

Other embassies that had a relatively high percentage of visa denials were Greece (26%), the Netherlands (24%), Czech Republic (19%) and Italy (19%).

Of the Middle East countries only Lebanon had a higher approval rate and Morocco had the highest number of applicants. Comparing the visa requests to other countries Lebanon had 135,431 applications of which 86% were approved and 18,889 were rejected (14%). In Tunis 186,566 applied for visas to Schengen countries of which 77% were approved to Schengen of which 42,647 (23%) were rejected. Of the Moroccans wishing to go to Schengen countries 533,861 applied of which 78% were approved. 116,499 were rejected (22%)

Other countries whose embassies also issued a relatively high number of visa applications were Spain, Italy, Netherlands and France. The number of visa applications being collected at each one of the above embassies alongside the number of visa approvals and visa denials is shown in the table below.