Chinese and Algerian citizens have submitted the most applications for Schengen visas to France in the past six years. Despite a decline in applications in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese nationals have remained the top applicants for French visas. Over 2.3 million Chinese nationals applied for French visas between 2017 and 2022, with a significant proportion of applications submitted before the pandemic. There has been a gradual increase in application rates in 2022.
Algerians have taken the second spot in terms of Schengen visa applications to France, with over 2 million applications submitted to French consulates in Algeria. One reason for the surge in Algerian applications is the prevalence of French language proficiency among around one-third of the Algerian population, given the country’s history as a French colony.
While Algerians have always been interested in obtaining French visas, their application rates have increased significantly since the pandemic, in contrast to the pre-pandemic era when Chinese applicants showed a greater interest in obtaining French visas.
French Schengen visa applicants, Chinese tourists in France, Algerian travelers to France, Schengen visa statistics, Visa application trends in France