Visa refusal: the official grounds and the right of appeal
A short-stay Schengen visa application cannot be refused arbitrarily. A refusal must rest on one of the grounds listed in Article 32 of the Visa Code and must be notified on a standard form.
A refusal is notified to you on the standard form in Annex VI of the Visa Code. The box ticked on the form shows which legal ground the decision rests on. This is the one document to read before making a new application: if the ticked ground has not been addressed, the same file will most likely meet the same assessment.
Grounds for refusal under the Visa Code
The list below summarises the grounds set out in Article 32(1) of the Visa Code. The tick boxes on the standard form correspond to these grounds.
- The travel document submitted is false, counterfeit or forged.
- Failure to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay.
- Failure to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended airport transit.
- Failure to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of the stay and for the return.
- The applicant has already stayed 90 days in the current 180-day period.
- An alert for refusal of entry in the Schengen Information System.
- An assessment that the applicant is considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or international relations.
- Failure to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance.
- Reasonable doubt as to the authenticity of the documents submitted, the veracity of their content, the reliability of the statements made, or the intention to leave the country before the visa expires.
This is a closed list: the deciding authority cannot refuse on a ground that is not on it. The “reasonable doubt” criterion in the last item, however, is broad and is assessed on the file as a whole.
How should you read the refusal form?
The ticked box tells you where the problem was seen. “The purpose and conditions could not be justified” and “sufficient means could not be proved” are two different findings and call for different preparation. Likewise, “reasonable doubt as to the intention to leave” points not to a missing document but to the credibility of the plan the file describes.
More than one box may be ticked on the form. Addressing only one of them in a new application will not change the outcome while the others remain.
The right of appeal
Article 32(3) of the Visa Code gives a refused applicant the right to appeal. The appeal is conducted against the Member State that took the final decision and under the national law of that State. The time limit, the channel and the competent authority vary from country to country; this information is given on the refusal form and on the official page of the representation concerned.
An appeal and a new application are two different routes. An appeal disputes the lawfulness of the existing decision; a new application asks for a fresh assessment with an updated file. Which is appropriate depends on the ground on the form and on the new documents you hold.
What to do after a refused application
- Keep the refusal form; read the ticked boxes and any handwritten notes.
- Confirm the appeal deadline and the competent authority on the form and on the official page of the representation.
- For each ticked ground, write down which document or which explanation was missing from your file.
- If you are going to apply again, rebuild the travel plan realistically; simply adding more documents does not remove the ground for refusal.
- Take into account that the fee is not refunded and is paid again for a new application.
The claim that “a refusal stamp automatically counts against the next application” does not rest on any official rule. Each application is assessed on its own documents and circumstances. A contradiction between the plan declared in the earlier application and the plan in the new one may, however, be taken into account under the criterion of the reliability of statements.
Niche questions and answers
Must the ground for refusal be given to me in writing?
Article 32(2) of the Visa Code requires a refusal to be notified on the standard form in Annex VI. The form is drawn up in the language of the Member State that took the decision and in one other official language of the EU institutions.
Is the appeal deadline the same in all countries?
No. The appeal procedure and the time limit are set by the national law of the Member State that took the decision. The time limit should be confirmed on the refusal form and on the official page of the representation concerned.
Is the fee refunded when an application is refused?
The application fee is charged for the examination of the application; no refund is provided if the application is refused. The fee is paid again for a new application.
Can I reapply to the same country straight away?
The Visa Code does not provide for a waiting period before reapplying. However, an application made without addressing the ground on the form is open to the same assessment.
Does applying to another Schengen country bypass the refusal record?
No. Applications are recorded in the common visa information system and the competent country is determined by the main destination. Choosing a country in order to find an appointment, without changing the real route, creates a contradiction between the declaration and the file.
Does a refusal mean a travel ban?
No. A visa refusal shows that this particular application was not accepted. An entry ban is a separate measure based on a record in the Schengen Information System; that ground appears as a separate box on the form.
Official sources
- EU Visa Code — Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 32 and Annex VI
- EU Delegation to Türkiye — Schengen application guide
Variable information on this page was checked on 12 September 2026 from the above primary official sources. Re-examine the official instructions on application day. InterPASS is an independent consultancy; It is not an embassy, consulate or official application centre. Offers file preparation and process support; does not guarantee exclusive access or decision to appointment.
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