Italy is continuing to register a high number of Schengen visa applications from Chinese citizens who are interested in visiting the country and other Schengen member states.
According to VFS Global, visa applications from China to Italy are currently on the rise. However, the outsourcing company did not reveal how many applications per month Italy has been receiving from Chinese citizens recently.
While numbers were not revealed, VFS Global stressed there is a significant upward trend, which is expected to lead to Italy reaching its pre-pandemic levels of visa applications from Chinese citizens by the end of 2024, Schengen.News reports.
It is believed that the number of applications has been high since the beginning of the year. However, taking into account that the end-of-year holidays are approaching, they might have significantly increased in the last couple of months.
The increase in Italian Schengen visa applications from Chinese citizens has also fueled the expansion of flight connections between the two countries. To meet the needs of all those who want to travel to Italy from China, the number of direct flights has been increased.
Chinese Citizens Filed Over 143,600 Italian Schengen Visa Applications in 2023
Last year, Chinese citizens filed a large number of Italian Schengen visa applications. Data from the Schengen Statistics portal show that in 2023, Chinese passport holders filed a total of 143,648 applications for an Italian visa.
Of the total number of applications that Italy received from Chinese citizens, the country approved 136,155 of them. On the other hand, 7,321 Chinese nationals had their Italian visa applications refused in 2023.
In addition to Italy, Chinese citizens submitted a high number of applications to other Schengen member countries.
Their main choice was France, with the Chinese applying for a total of 271,111 French Schengen visas last year. Just like Italy, France also has a high approval rate for Chinese visa applicants.
Figures reveal that France issued 251,964 Schengen visas to Chinese passport holders and rejected 14,005 visa applications.
The third most sought-after Schengen country by the Chinese when applying for a visa was Spain in 2023. During the previous year, the Chinese submitted a total of 148,533 Spanish Schengen visa applications. The Spanish authorities issued a visa to 139,150 Chinese applicants and refused a visa for 6,523 of them in 2023.
In terms of overall applications, China was the top applicant last year. Chinese applied for the most visas in 2023, leaving behind Türkiye and India.
Source: https://schengen.news/italy-sees-increase-in-schengen-visa-applications-from-chinese-citizens/
