“Europe without Barriers” publishes its analysis of the EU Member States visa issuance statistics to Ukraine and the other countries of the world in 2009. The following parameters are covered: number of visas (all categories) issued; Ukraine’s and some other states’ proportion in the overall EU visa statistics, largest consulate’s capacity, refusal rate etc.
The analysis presented below is based on the official statistics of the EU on the issuance of visas published on June 9, 2010 which is available here
In 2009 Consular establishments of the members of the Schengen Agreement issued 12,190,687 visas of all types to the citizens of third countries requiring visas to enter the EU territory; 10,241,000 (more than 80%) of this number includes C type visas, or Schengen visas for short term stay. More than 1 million of the issued visas are D type visas, which are national visas, as a rule entitling the bearer to long term stay for family reasons, employment or studies.
Ukraine occupies an important position on the “visa map” of European Union– almost every tenth visa of countries of the Schengen Agreement (1,125,659 or 9,2% of all visas) was issued in Ukraine. According to this indicator Ukraine steadily occupies the second position in the world after Russian Federation (3,578,672 of visas or 29,4%). China is the third (544,586 or 4,5%), Serbia is the forth , Turkey – fifth, Belarus – sixth, India – seventh. In general more than half of all Schengen visas in the world is issued only in five countries – leaders of this “rating”.
Ukraine’s specifics includes relatively high share of D type visas – national visas for long term stay. While Ukraine’s share in C type visas equals to 8,4%, D type visas comprise 17,5% of all visas of this type in the world. In total 182 thousand of such visas were issued in Ukraine, 87% of them were issued by the consular establishments of Poland.
Sixth position of Belarus in the table 1 draws attention (449,351 visas or 3,7%). Taking into account relatively low population of this country (about 9,5 million), Belarus will become the leader in the number of issued EU visas per person in the world after all countries of Western Balkans become “visa free”.
In 2009 according to proportions one Schengen visa was issued per 21 citizens of Belarus, while the relevant number for Ukraine and Russia is twice smaller: one visa per 41-43 persons, Turkey – one visa per 160 persons, China – one visa per three thousand people.
Data comparison of “Eastern Partnership” countries should also be analyzed. Ukraine obtains almost twice more visas than all other 5 countries taken together, however this fact is not of great surprise as the population of Ukraine is larger than the population of other 5 EaP countries.
The Largest Schengen Consulates. Polish Consulate in Lviv is the largest foreign Consulate in Ukraine and the largest Consulate of Poland abroad in terms of the issued visas. The indicator of 273,569 in 2009 means that this Consulate issued every forth visa out of all visas, issued on the territory of Ukraine by the members of the Schengen Agreement. Taking into account that in 2009 all consular establishments of Poland in the world issued 795,387 visas in general, we may state that a single Consulate in Lviv issued more than one third of all Polish visas in the world.
At the same time even this indicator places Polish Consulate in Lviv on the forth position among the Schengen Consulates in the world. Second and third position are occupied by Consulates of Italy (315,356 visas) and Spain (276,765 visas) in Moscow.
The absolute world leadership belongs to the Consulate of Finland in Saint Petersburg that issued 542,525 visas in 2009. For comparison, it equals to the half of all visas issued in Ukraine by all EU Consulates; it is almost equal to the number of visas issued by all EU consulates in China (which takes the third position in terms of the issued EU visas) and is bigger than the number of visas issued by all EU Consulates in Turkey.
Specifics and working outcomes of certain national consular services in some “privileged” target countries testify to sufficient flexibility of Schengen regulations and dependency of visa practice on political considerations. Visa practice of Finland in Russia and Poland in Ukraine may serve as relevant examples.
Role of consular services of Finland in Russia is similar to the role of Poland in Ukraine. Poland’s share in visa issuance for the citizens of Ukraine is even more impressive. For example, in 2009 5 Polish Consulates in Ukraine (in Kyiv, Lviv, Lutsk, Odesa and Kharkiv) issued 439,348 visas which makes 39,8% of all visas issued on the territory of Ukraine by the members of the Schengen Agreement. 55% of all Polish visas are issued in Ukraine.
Visa practice of Finland in Russia and Poland in Ukraine shows that the level of complexity of the Schengen visa issuance depends on the political will and instructions given to consular staff rather than on the Schengen acquis as such.
Visa refusals.Ukraine receives 9,2% of all visas issued by countries participating in the Schengen Agreement and at the same time its share in all refusals equals to 5,9%. It means that Ukrainians are refused visas less often than the world average. The visa refusal rate in Ukraine is near 4% out of general number of applications and 4,6% among Shengen visa applications (B and C types) which shows that Ukraine is close to the benchmark level of 3% which EU considers to be the secure level and it is taken into account for lifting of visa obligations. For example, in Albania, the country aspiring visa free regime this year, the share of refusals equals to 13,5% (in 2008 it equalled to 18%, and in 2007 – 21%)
Consulate of Spain in Kyiv is an absolute “champion” in visa refusals. In 2009 it refused every seventh application (14,7%). The Consulate of Germany in Kyiv occupies the second position according to the percentage (10,9%) and the first position in terms of the absolute number. High level of refusals (more than 10%) is noted in the Consulate of the Czech Republic in Lviv, while other Consulates of this country (in Kyiv and Donetsk) issue significantly lower number of refusals (2-4 %).
Low level of visa refusal (2-3%) is traditionally shown by the Consulates of Poland, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Sweden, Lithuania and Estonia. Decrease in the refusal rate in such usually “problematic” consular establishments as Consulates of France (up to 5,7%) and Austria (up to 2,6%) is a positive factor. The lowest level of refusals is noted in the Consulates of Romania and Bulgaria (up to 1%) but these countries do not belong to the Schengen zone; they issue only national visas, and that is why this result should be analyzed with the relevant reservations.
Ukraine belongs to the group of states which are the leaders on the “visa map” of European Union. Its citizens obtain almost every tenth Schengen visa in the world. This fact determines reciprocal intense interest on behalf of Ukraine and the EU in the sphere of migration security; it also creates grounds for productive visa dialogue aimed at elimination of visa regime by the EU on one hand, and ensuring necessary security guarantees by Ukraine on the other hand – in the spheres of document security, border management, fighting illegal migration, other types of cross-border crime and corruption.
Relatively low rate of visa refusals (4-4,6%) testifies to sufficient quality, integrity and justification for the absolute majority of visa applications submitted by the citizens of Ukraine.In terms of this indicator Ukraine is close to the 3 percent “security benchmark” set by the EU for the countries graduating for visa free regime.
The openness of the European Union in providing rather full information on visa issuance by consular establishments should be welcomed. Such openness is not typical for the majority of other consular services in the world, including that of Ukraine.
Ukraine belongs to the group of states which are the leaders on the “visa map” of European Union. Its citizens obtain almost every tenth Schengen visa in the world. This fact determines reciprocal intense interest on behalf of Ukraine and the EU in the sphere of migration security; it also creates grounds for productive visa dialogue aimed at elimination of visa regime by the EU on one hand, and ensuring necessary security guarantees by Ukraine on the other hand – in the spheres of document security, border management, fighting illegal migration, other types of cross-border crime and corruption.
Relatively low rate of visa refusals (4-4,6%) testifies to sufficient quality, integrity and justification for the absolute majority of visa applications submitted by the citizens of Ukraine. In terms of this indicator Ukraine is close to the 3 percent “security benchmark” set by the EU for the countries graduating for visa free regime.
Significant differences between the EU Member States’ consulates in visa refusal rate for Ukrainian citizens (from 1,5% to 14,7%) testifies to the significant role of political factor when the level of visa availability depends to a great extend not on the normative criteria of the Schengen acquis but on the certain policy instructions given to consular officers in order either to facilitate or complicate travel conditions of Ukrainian citizens to the EU. In fact, refusal rate taken together with monitoring of national political positions, precisely reflects political willingness of the specific EU Member States to work on further visa liberalisation with Ukraine: the fewer the refusals the fuller is the readiness of specific country to make the decision on lifting visas for the citizens of Ukraine.
In fact, refusal rate taken together with monitoring of national political positions, precisely reflects political willingness of the specific EU Member States to work on further visa liberalisation with Ukraine: the fewer the refusals the fuller is the readiness of specific country to make the decision on lifting visas for the citizens of Ukraine.
