🇮🇳 Indian citizens · 🇬🇧 UK · Business
UK business visa refusal rate for Indian citizens (year to March 2026)
The Home Office decided 661,624 UK visitor visa applications from Indian nationals in the year to March 2026, and refused 18.1% of them — so about 82 in every 100 decided applications were issued. That is up from 16.4% in year to March 2025. Unlike the Schengen figures, this is grouped by the applicant's nationality rather than by where the application was lodged, and it is broken down by visa type, so it describes Indian visitor applicants specifically. Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from both sides of the fraction. It remains a nationality-wide outcome rather than a prediction for one case. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record instead.
Last reviewed August 2026 per our editorial standards. Rate: UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02) .
For Indian citizens applying, a business visa to the United Kingdom is decided mainly on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. Public statistics point to an approximate base approval of around 83% for this route — but your own profile can move that figure a lot in either direction. 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 Netherlands | 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 UK business visa refusal rate for Indian citizens?
18.1% in year to March 2026, against 16.4% in year to March 2025 — meaning 81.9% of decided cases ended in a visa. Entry clearance visitor visa applications from India nationals decided in the year to March 2026, as a share refused. The Home Office publishes decisions by nationality and visa type; withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from both sides of the fraction. It is a nationality-wide outcome, not a probability for an individual application. Your own case is assessed on its own evidence, so use the estimator on this page rather than the average.
Where does this UK refusal-rate figure come from?
From UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02), covering year to March 2026. We restate the published figure without adjustment and link the source file directly, so you can check it yourself.
What matters most for a UK 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.
