Pakistani travellers faced one of the world’s toughest short-term visa approval environments in 2025, according to newly compiled visa data.
The United Kingdom and Schengen countries rejected a combined 112,387 applications filed by Pakistani nationals during the year.
As a result, nearly one in every two Pakistani short-term visa applications to these destinations failed.
The UK refused around 72,000 short-term visa applications from Pakistan in 2025.
This was the second-highest number of rejections among the nationalities included in the data.
Pakistan also recorded a rejection rate of 44%. This placed it second among the UK’s 20 largest visitor visa applicant nationalities.
Only Bangladesh recorded a higher refusal rate at 51.8%.
Meanwhile, the UK’s non-refundable visa fees cost rejected Pakistani applicants an estimated £9.17 million.
Schengen countries rejected another 40,199 visa applications from Pakistani citizens in 2025.
The rejection rate stood at approximately 46%.
Therefore, Pakistani applicants faced almost the same level of rejection when applying for either a UK visitor visa or a Schengen short-stay visa.
Together, UK and Schengen visa refusals cost Pakistani applicants an estimated €14.35 million ($16.39 million) in non-refundable fees.
This equals approximately Rs. 4.56 billion.
The amount represents a direct financial loss for households because embassies and visa authorities generally do not refund application fees after rejecting an application.
Applicants also often pay additional amounts for document preparation, translations, travel insurance, appointments and visa processing services.
The figures show that Pakistani citizens face a significant mobility penalty despite not being the largest applicant group.
Income verification, weak documentation and concerns about applicants overstaying their visas can lead to stricter scrutiny.
Pakistan’s weak passport ranking also limits visa-free travel options. Therefore, citizens must depend heavily on costly visa application processes when travelling to Europe and the UK.
Moreover, repeated refusals can affect future applications and force travellers to submit more financial and supporting documents.
The 2025 figures highlight the growing economic and mobility costs faced by Pakistani citizens seeking short-term travel opportunities abroad.
Via: Gallup Pakistan, Macro Pakistani
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