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🇦🇫 Afghan citizens · 🇪🇺 Schengen · Student

Schengen student visa success rate for Afghan citizens

In the UK — the only government that publishes visa outcomes broken down by both nationality and visa type — 32.6% of Afghan student visa applications were approved, down from 48.8% a year earlier, across 635 decisions in the year to March 2026. For Afghan student applicants that is the only approval rate on record anywhere. the Schengen area does not publish student decisions by nationality, so no Schengen-specific rate exists for Afghanistan — and any site quoting one is estimating. Where Afghanistan does have published rates, they run at 36.7% on US visitor visas in FY2025 — a wider picture of how Afghan applications are treated, though neither is a student-visa figure. What Schengen does document is the decision itself: officers assess whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course, and the biggest single lever is admission and funding. On the money side: Country-specific: e.g. Germany requires a blocked account of about €11,904/year (2025); others accept a scholarship award or bank evidence of living costs. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record against that.

Last reviewed July 2026 per our editorial standards. Source: European Commission — Migration and Home Affairs .

Schengen assesses a student visa on whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course. As an approximate starting point, this route runs near a 52% base approval for Afghan citizens — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down. Published approval rates for Afghanistan run at 36.7% on US visitor visas in FY2025.

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Your trip

The essentials. Pre-filled if you came from a specific page.

Key requirements

  • University admission / enrolment letter
  • Proof of funds or a scholarship (e.g. a German blocked account, ~€11,904/year in 2025)
  • Health insurance valid in the destination country
  • Proof of accommodation
  • National long-stay (Type D) application at the country's consulate

Visa fee (cost)

Set nationally for long-stay (D) visas — commonly €75–€120 depending on the country; check your consulate’s fee page.

Money & funds

Country-specific: e.g. Germany requires a blocked account of about €11,904/year (2025); others accept a scholarship award or bank evidence of living costs.

Typical timeline

National (Type D) processing varies by country from a few weeks to a couple of months — apply as early as your admission allows.

Common refusal reasons

  • Funds or scholarship not adequately proven
  • Admission not genuine or incomplete
  • Missing or insufficient health insurance
  • Doubts about genuine study intent
  • Incomplete national-visa documentation

Where Afghanistan sits in the official data

Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Afghan applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Afghanistan.

UK student visas — year to March 2026

The UK is the only government that publishes outcomes by nationality and visa type, so it is the one place a student-visa figure for Afghanistan actually exists. 67.4% of Afghan student applications were refused across 635 decisions , against 51.2% the year before. That volume makes Afghanistan the 53rd-largest source of UK student applicants, of 73 countries with meaningful numbers. Different country, different rules — a reference point, not your odds here.

US visitor visas — FY2025

A 63.3% adjusted refusal rate places Afghanistan 173rd of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 13% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Afghanistan is 31.5 points above it.

The European Commission's Schengen table carries no row for Afghanistan at any volume, so the US and UK figures above are the only two nationality-level rates published for Afghan applicants anywhere. They run 63% refused in the US against 67% refused in the UK — within 4 points of each other, despite being different systems entirely. Volume is the other half of the picture: 635 student decisions make Afghanistan the 53rd-largest source the UK sees for that category, of 73 countries with a meaningful number.

Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.

What actually moves the needle

Admission to an accredited institution

This is the heart of student decisions for Schengen. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.

Clearly documented funding for tuition and living costs

Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.

A credible study plan that fits your background

Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.

Context for Afghanistan applicants

Published approval rates for Afghanistan run at 36.7% on US visitor visas in FY2025. Your personal profile matters far more than any nationality-level pattern, so focus on the levers above.

Avoid the common pitfall

The most frequent reason this route fails is unclear funding or a course that does not fit your profile. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official Schengen student visa success rate for Afghan citizens?

Not one we currently carry. We only print a rate when we hold the publisher's own figure for this nationality and this visa category, and we do not hold one for the Schengen area student visas. The figure shown on this page is a modelled estimate built from published route-level data and your answers — we label it as such rather than presenting it as a government statistic. What you can act on is the documented requirement set below, which is what the decision actually turns on.

What matters most for a Schengen student visa?

Officers focus on whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course. In practice the single biggest lever is admission and funding, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.

Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?

Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.

Is this a guarantee of approval?

No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.

Is my information private?

Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.

Do I need a Schengen visa or a national visa to study in Europe?

For courses over 90 days you need the destination country's national long-stay (Type D) visa, not the short-stay Schengen visa.

How much money do I need to study in Germany?

Germany typically requires a blocked account of about €11,904 per year (2025) to prove living costs, unless you have an equivalent scholarship.

Is health insurance required for a student visa in Europe?

Yes. You must show valid health insurance in the destination country, often statutory or an approved private policy.

Are European student visas hard to get?

With a genuine admission, clear funding, insurance and accommodation, approval is generally strong. Weak funding or an unconvincing study plan are the main risks.

Can I work while studying in the EU?

Many EU countries allow limited part-time work for students (rules and hour caps vary by country) — check the specific country's regulations.

Explore related visa odds

Schengen student visa odds for other nationalities

Helpful guides

Schengen visa bank statements: how much money and how to show it → Schengen travel insurance: 30,000 euros cover & cost (2026) → How to prove funding for a student visa → How to read visa approval and refusal rates → How to prove strong ties to your home country → How to document your finances for a visa →