🇸🇦 Saudi citizens · 🇵🇹 Portugal · Business
Portugal business visa refusal rate for Saudi citizens (2025)
Consulates of Portugal in Saudi Arabia received 16,501 short-stay Schengen applications in 2025 and refused 2,093 of them — a 12.7% refusal rate, meaning roughly 87 in every 100 decided applications ended in a visa. The European Commission groups these figures by the country an application was lodged in rather than by passport, so they describe applicants applying from Saudi Arabia. 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) .
Portugal assesses a business visa on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. As an approximate starting point, this route runs near a 96% base approval for Saudi citizens — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down. Saudi applicants generally present strong finances; outcomes hinge on clearly documented ties, purpose and funds. Saudi nationals still need a US B1/B2 and a Schengen visa (the UK now uses an ETA, not a visitor visa).
Estimate my personal oddsEstimate your personal odds
Pre-filled for this route. A few taps and it’s done — privately, in your browser.
Your trip
The essentials. Pre-filled if you came from a specific page.
Where Saudi Arabia sits in the official data
Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Saudi applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Saudi Arabia.
US visitor visas — FY2025
A 6% adjusted refusal rate places Saudi Arabia 15th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 92% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Saudi Arabia is 25.8 points below it.
Schengen short-stay visas — 2025
Across all Schengen consulates in Saudi Arabia, 5.2% of short-stay applications were not issued — 19th of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 10.4 points below the 15.6% median.
| Destination | Refused | Issued | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2.4% | 97.6% | 83,253 |
| Spain | 2.8% | 97.2% | 57,875 |
| France | 3.8% | 96.2% | 233,101 |
| Germany | 8% | 92% | 50,841 |
| Portugalthis page | 12.7% | 87.3% | 16,501 |
| the Netherlands | 15% | 85% | 18,777 |
| Greece | 18.9% | 81.1% | 11,391 |
Among Schengen states, applications lodged in Saudi Arabia were refused least often by Italy at 2.4% and most often by Greece at 18.9% — a gap of 16.5 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 Saudi Arabia between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 550,463 short-stay applications, against 501,380 the year before — up 9.8% — while the refusal rate went from 5.9% to 5.2%. That easing meant roughly 4,010 more applicants were issued a visa than 2024's rate would have produced.
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 Portugal business visa refusal rate for Saudi citizens?
12.7% in 2025 — meaning 87.3% of decided cases ended in a visa. Short-stay (type C) applications lodged in Saudi Arabia at consulates of Portugal 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 Saudi Arabia 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 Portugal 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 Portugal 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.
