Pakistan faces some of the highest visit-visa refusal rates in the world — ~45% across Schengen, and a sharp ~70% refusal for UAE/Dubai after the 2025 tightening. Asian destinations (Malaysia, Georgia, Japan) remain far more open. Switch years to compare.
% of Pakistani applications approved · sorted easiest to hardest · 🟢 easy 🟡 mixed 🔴 hard
Volume of visas granted to Pakistani applicants, by destination
Applications, issued, and both rates. Bands: High ≥55% Mid 35–55% Low <35%
| # | Country | Applications | Issued | Grant rate | Refusal rate | Band |
|---|
Visas issued to Pakistanis, 2023 → 2024 → 2025
Indicative ease of securing a slot. Shifts week to week — verify live before booking.
| Country | Centre serving Lahore | Provider | Slot availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇱Netherlands | Lahore, Islamabad | VFS Global | Usually good |
| 🇬🇷Greece | Islamabad | Consulate | Usually good |
| 🇵🇱Poland | Lahore, Islamabad | VFS Global | Usually good |
| 🇭🇺Hungary | Islamabad | VFS / Consulate | Usually good |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Islamabad (waiting-list) | Embassy / TLS | Moderate |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Lahore, Isb, Khi | VFS Global | Books out fast |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Lahore, Isb, Khi | BLS International | Books out fast |
| 🇫🇷France | Lahore, Isb, Khi | VFS / TLS | Books out fast |
Operational rules in force as of June 2026.
€90 adult / €45 child, paid in PKR (~27,000–31,000) plus a VFS/BLS/TLS service fee. All-in ~PKR 35,000–40,000 with insurance. Non-refundable.
Biometric entry/exit now replaces passport stamps at all Schengen borders; the 90/180-day limit is tracked automatically.
Most consulates now want 6 months (up from 3), ~€50–70 per travel day, consistent balance — avoid large last-minute deposits.
Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention — documents are apostilled via MoFA Pakistan, not embassy-legalised.
For Pakistani students the gap between the headline grant rate and the real one is wide — because thousands of applications are withdrawn before a decision and never count against the official refusal figure. This report shows both.
Official % approved · sorted easiest to hardest · 🟢 easy 🟡 mixed 🔴 hard
Every application splits into 🟢 granted · 🔴 refused · 🟡 withdrawn (% of all applied)
Applied = granted + refused + withdrawn. Two grant rates shown: official, and adjusted (withdrawals counted as non-grants). Bands use the adjusted rate.
| # | Destination | Applied | Granted | Refused | Withdrawn | Grant rate official |
Grant rate incl. withdrawals |
Ultimate refusal |
Band |
|---|
Pakistani main-applicant grants (official Home Office) and the refusal rate climbing to ~41%.
In Q1 2026, UK student withdrawals overtook refusals for the first time in decades — and Pakistan drove it.
Pakistan was the 3rd-largest source of UK grants: 37,013 (YE Jun 2025), easing to 30,781 (YE Dec 2025) — official figures. Refusal rose from ~6% to ~18% across 2025, then ~41% in Q1 2026. Counting withdrawals, the real Q1 success rate was closer to 42%.
Overall subclass-500 grant rate 83.1% (2024-25, Home Affairs), but Pakistan sits far below — offshore higher-ed around 57%, one of the lowest of major source countries, after the Genuine Student rule, higher financial thresholds and the AUD 2,000 fee.
Germany's main barrier is processing time, not refusal — Pakistani grant rate around 70%, the strongest of the EU options here. Publishes no Pakistan-specific student breakdown, so the figure is modelled to its known leniency.
The most reliable routes for Pakistani students. Malaysia runs ~90% approval through EMGS (university-sponsored, document-driven), Japan ~95% once the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is issued by the institution. Both are gated by admission, not consular suspicion.
Around ~80% success for Pakistani students (sector data), with low tuition and a liberal visa policy. Popular for MBBS and business. Main refusal triggers are weak financials and inconsistent study plans, not nationality.
D-2 grant rate around ~70% and falling. Korea raised scrutiny in 2025–26 after visa-overstay concerns (1 in 9 student-visa holders in violation by end-2024). Study-plan coherence and TOPIK/IELTS evidence now matter more.
Published "student refusal" ranges (8–16%) reflect mostly Indian/Western applicants. For Pakistan, the same return-intent and financial scrutiny that drives ~47% Schengen refusal pushes real student grant rates to roughly 50–55%. Treat any 85%+ figure for Pakistan with caution.
Finland sits around ~65% for Pakistani students — stricter financial proof than its reputation suggests. Republic of Cyprus private colleges are accessible (~65% grant) but carry a high withdrawal/non-enrolment rate, so the real conversion is lower.
Material for client advising.
From Jan 2026, post-study work fell 24 → 18 months. Sponsor compliance tightened (refusal-rate ceiling 10% → 5%); several universities paused Pakistani intake.
Fee raised to AUD 2,000. Genuine Student requirement replaced GTE (23 Mar 2024); financial threshold rose (10 May 2024). Lower-risk providers prioritised.
Études en France mandatory; antennas in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi. Visa fee €50. The interview + study-plan coherence is the most common refusal point.
Since Nov 2024 academic documents are apostilled via MoFA Pakistan for these destinations rather than embassy-legalised.