So You Want a European Summer Holiday Update Yourself First
A lot of people in the UAE are trying to plan their travel for the summer break right now. Having two months is great but it can be really bad if you pick the wrong country to apply for a visa.
You could end up not being able to go on your European summer holiday. This is because your vacations can be ruined by picking country.
Good News Less Good News for UAE Residents
Things are looking good worldwide. In 2025 European consulates got 12 million short stay visa applications, which is a little more than last year.
They issued over 10 million visas. The global rejection rate stayed the same at around 14.8 percent. In the UAE things are different. Some consulates here are rejecting than one in three people who apply. In some cases they are rejecting than half.
The Very Hardest Places to Get a Visa
If you are thinking of applying through these countries you might want to sit down first. European summer holiday plans can be ruined if you apply for a visa in the country.
European countries have rejection rates. For example Bulgaria is the toughest. Their rejection rate is 58.2 percent. This means nearly 2,500 out of 4,500 people who applied got a no.
Luxembourg comes second turning down 48.5 percent of people who applied. This is one out of every two people who applied for a European summer holiday visa.
Estonia is third rejecting 46.4 percent of the 468 people who applied for a visa.
Popular Holiday Spots That Are Secretly Rejection Traps
You might think that big name destinations would be easier to get a visa. That is not true. For example
Malta said no to 45.9 percent of its 7,079 applicants from the UAE.
Croatia rejected 42.6 percent of the 2,092 people who applied for a visa.
Sweden turned away 40.7 percent of 6,312 people who applied.
Even Hungary which got over 10,000 applications from the UAE rejected 35.2 percent of them.
Poland was not behind at 32.5 percent.
Denmark processed a lot of applications but still rejected nearly one in three people who applied for a visa.
The Smart Travelers Move
So what should you do of applying for a visa in a country that is hard to get a visa you should apply in a country that is easier.
Spain, France and Germany all have approval rates for a European summer holiday visa. They are popular for a reason. They are more likely to be said yes. So you should plan your summer trip around one of these countries. You might just get to enjoy your vacation instead of getting a rejection letter.
This way you can have an European summer holiday nowadays.