🇮🇳 Indian citizens · 🇳🇱 Netherlands · Business
Netherlands business visa refusal rate for Indian citizens (2025)
Consulates of the Netherlands in India received 97,650 short-stay Schengen applications in 2025 and refused 20,156 of them — a 20.7% refusal rate, meaning roughly 79 in every 100 decided applications ended in a visa. That is up from 16.1% in 2024. The European Commission groups these figures by the country an application was lodged in rather than by passport, so they describe applicants applying from India. They are an aggregate outcome, not your personal odds: finances, ties, purpose and refusal history all move an individual case well above or below the average. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record instead.
Last reviewed August 2026 per our editorial standards. Rate: European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates (per Schengen state) .
Netherlands assesses a business visa on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. As an approximate starting point, this route runs near a 86% base approval for Indian citizens — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down. Indian applicants form one of the largest applicant pools worldwide; outcomes hinge strongly on finances and travel history.
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Where India sits in the official data
Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Indian applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from India.
US visitor visas — FY2025
A 22% adjusted refusal rate places India 77th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 61% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so India is 9.8 points below it.
Schengen short-stay visas — 2025
Across all Schengen consulates in India, 15.8% of short-stay applications were not issued — 65th of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 0.2 points above the 15.6% median.
| Destination | Refused | Issued | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 10.5% | 89.5% | 152,870 |
| Italy | 12.7% | 87.3% | 53,511 |
| France | 15.3% | 84.7% | 203,152 |
| Spain | 15.4% | 84.6% | 89,741 |
| Portugal | 20.3% | 79.7% | 15,422 |
| the Netherlandsthis page | 20.7% | 79.3% | 97,219 |
| Greece | 33.2% | 66.8% | 40,763 |
Among Schengen states, applications lodged in India were refused least often by Germany at 10.5% and most often by Greece at 33.2% — a gap of 22.7 points on a like-for-like basis. That gap reflects who applies where as much as how strictly each state decides, so it is a starting point for choosing a main destination, not a ranking of leniency. You must still apply to the state where you will spend the most nights.
Demand and outcome moved together for India between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 1,148,001 short-stay applications, against 1,104,963 the year before — up 3.9% — while the refusal rate went from 15% to 15.8%. Had 2024's rate held, roughly 8,911 of the 1,148,001 applicants refused in 2025 would have been issued a visa instead.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Netherlands business visa refusal rate for Indian citizens?
20.7% in 2025, against 16.1% in 2024 — meaning 79.3% of decided cases ended in a visa. Short-stay (type C) applications lodged in India at consulates of Netherlands and refused during 2025, as a share of those decided (issued plus refused) — the European Commission's own basis, which excludes applications still pending or withdrawn. Rows are grouped by where an application was lodged, so this describes people applying from India rather than passport holders. Your own case is assessed on its own evidence, so use the estimator on this page rather than the average.
Where does this Netherlands refusal-rate figure come from?
From European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates (per Schengen state), covering 2025. We restate the published figure without adjustment and link the source file directly, so you can check it yourself.
What matters most for a Netherlands business visa?
Officers focus on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. In practice the single biggest lever is a credible invitation and ties, 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.
