In 2023, Ghanaians invested a significant sum in their efforts to travel to Europe, with a considerable portion going unrewarded due to visa refusals. According to the latest data from the European Commission, Ghanaians collectively spent GHS 28,080,000 on Schengen visa refusals alone.
Out of 45,421 Schengen visa applications submitted by Ghanaians, only 23,400 were approved, translating to an approval rate of approximately 51.5%. This leaves a staggering 21,226 applications, or 47.5%, being refused. The financial implications of these refusals are substantial. With each Schengen visa application costing 80 EUR, Ghanaians spent 3,633,680 EUR on applications in 2023. Of this amount, 1,872,000 EUR was spent on applications that were ultimately refused.
The cost of these refusals is even more striking when converted into the local currency. With the average exchange rate for 2023 being 1 EUR to GHS 15, the total expenditure on unsuccessful visa applications amounts to GHS 28,080,000.
The data also reveals that out of the visas issued, 9,558 were multiple entry visas, making up 40.8% of the total visas issued. Additionally, only 22 long-term visas were granted to Ghanaians in 2023.
Globally, the total number of Schengen visa applications reached 10,327,572, indicating a growing interest in travel to the Schengen area.
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