
In this blog, we will explore why a visa gets rejected so that you can be well-prepared before applying for the visa.
Reasons why visa gets rejected
Visa plays an important role in the country’s safety. Every country has different immigration protocols a foreigner must adhere to before getting visa approval. If you fail to follow any visa rules, your visa application will get rejected. The most common reasons for visa refusal are missing or sending invalid documents or not being able to prove that you’re eligible to visit the respective country.
So it’s important to know why a visa can get rejected in advance—so that you’re well prepared and it doesn’t happen to you. Regardless of the reason for your visit, whether it’s for vacation or study abroad, Embassy will be strict when approving your visa. Below are the reasons for visa denial.
18. Incomplete Visa Application Form
Everything in the visa application form should be filled out. If you miss out on filling in the required data, your visa will be rejected.
17. Not Validated Documents
For getting a visa, it’s required that an apostille or attestation validates all your documents. Without presenting apostilled or attested copies, your visa may get rejected. So, always make sure to get your document is either attested or has an apostille stamp.
16. Insufficient funds
One of the most common reasons for visa refusal is that you have insufficient funds. You must prove that you have sufficient funds to support your stay in the foreign nation. Not having funds means you cannot support yourself and be a liability to that country.
15. Discrepancy in documents
The Embassy will cross-verify the information that you fill on the visa application form and your supporting documents. If the information on the visa form doesn’t match the records provided by you, your visa will be rejected.
14. Not Following Visa Guidelines
Every country has rules and procedures that an individual must follow while applying for a visa. If an individual fails to comply with rules or guidelines, their visa will be rejected.
13. Not Providing a Complete Travel Itinerary
When you’re applying for a visa for a vacation, you have to submit a completed travel itinerary. Failing to do so will result in a refusal of a visa. It’s recommended that you provide an itinerary of your travel that includes:
- Hotel booking receipts
- Plan of travel and places you plan on visiting
- Flight and transportation tickets,
In short, you have to give them a complete travel itinerary.
12. Unable To Justify The Reason For Travel
Unable to justify why you are visiting a country is one of the main reasons for visa denial. Suppose you are visiting a country for education, you must have a university acceptance letter, and if you’re going for a job, you should have an offer/acceptance letter from the company.
11. Passport Issues
Another reason is having an expired passport or a passport that is about to expire before your travel. Some countries even need a passport with an expiry date of at least six months and more before your planned entry to that country.
Also another major thing that you need to look out for is that you have white pages in your passport.
10. Bad Timing of Application
Every country has their own set of regulations and guidelines that affect the visa processing time. You should apply for the visa early, so you get it at least a month before your planned visit to that country. It will get rejected when your visa is processed after your travel date.
9. Sketchy Background of Sponsor
If a company, body, or any person abroad is sponsoring your visit, then the Embassy will check the sponsor’s credibility in terms of their background, income, intent, tax obligations, and other aspects of your visit. If Embassy senses something is off, they can deny your visit.
8. Issues With Your Previous Travel
You will be denied entry to that country if you have unfavourable travel history. A few reasons include violating visiting country’s norm, cancellation of visa, denial of visa by country etc.
7. Unhealthy or Having an Infection
This should not come as a surprise, but your visa will be rejected if you’re unhealthy or have an infectious disease. Also, you’ll have to show Covid vaccination certificates. Many countries will ask you to have covid negative test results before departure.
6. Bad Reputation of Your Country
If your country is in conflict or has a bad reputation with the destination country, your visa will be rejected. The relationship between your country and the country of the visit will also impact the approval of your visa.
5. Criminal Record
If you are a convicted criminal, your visa will instantly be rejected. This is because the foreign body will see you as a threat to their citizen or government. Even if you’re in a trial and not convicted, you won’t be given a visa approval until all the charges are dropped and you have a clear record.
4. Problems During The Visa Interview
No matter if you have all the documents and funds, your visa will be rejected if you perform poorly at the visa interview. Acting nervous, not communicating properly, or misbehaving during the interview will result in a denied visa. So, make sure you are calm and state your intention to travel confidently.
3. Sending Fake Documents
You may get admission to your desired college or a job abroad by forging any document. But you cannot fool visa authorities as they perform a thorough check of the documents submitted by you and validates them. If they find out that you have faked a document, they will terminate your visa application and ban you from visiting that country ever again! So be careful and do not present a fake document.
2. Documents in Native Language
Having documents in your regional language will be rejected as the foreign Embassy won’t be able to understand the language and validate the document. This will cause visa rejection. If you have documents in the regional language, you can hire a language translator to translate your documents.
1. No Travel Insurance
Some countries, including Schengen nations, require you to have travel insurance; missing one can result in a visa denial.
These are a few of the reasons why your visa can get rejected. To avoid rejection, ensure you follow the guidelines the authorities give.
What to do if your visa is rejected?
If your visa gets rejected, the first and foremost step is to stay calm. I know it can be overwhelming to receive a mail of visa rejection when you are hoping for a visa approval letter.
The first step is to find out why your visa was rejected. Usually, the authorities mail you the reason they refused to give you the visa. The information can also be found on the Embassy website for some countries.
Now that you know what factor contributed to visa rejection, the second step is to solve the issue! If your visa was rejected because of insufficient funds in the bank account, then next time, keep enough balance while applying for the visa. If the rejection was improper documents, then next time, ensure you send all the valid documents.
It’s that simple. Remember that visa rejection is not the end of the world!
How to avoid Visa Rejection?
Avoiding Visa rejection or refusal includes doing the paperwork correctly and giving the interview confidently.
The general statement for avoiding visa refusal is to go through the guidelines properly and to know why a visa gets rejected—to avoid those visa mistakes.
Here are a few things you can do to avoid visa rejection:
- Go through the Indian Embassy website and understand the procedure and guidelines for visa application.
- While applying, do not miss filling out any section
- Upload valid and required documents
- If your documents are in a regional language, get them translated.
- Follow guidelines and procedures.
- Keep your account funded.
- Be confident during the interview.
Those are a few things that you should keep in mind.
What is the difference between visa refusal and visa rejection?
Although both visa refusal and rejection may seem similar, a slight difference sets them apart.
Visa rejection is when the embassy rejects your application mainly because something is missing from your application. This can include missing required documents or improper filling of the form. Once your visa gets rejected, you must submit your papers and start the process over again.
Visa refusal, on the other hand, is when the authority denies your entry and rejects your visa. This is primarily because of your background (criminal record) or if you fail to convince the office during the visa interview.
Conclusion
As stated above in the blog, visa refusal, denial, or rejection can occur for many reasons. Although it can be heartwrenching, you must know that visa rejection is usually temporary, and you can re-apply for the visa.
After going through the blog, we hope you’d be prepared and avoid making any mistakes that will get your visa rejected. You can count on us if you need any help with Apostille or attestation or language translation. Check our website to know more about us.
You can call us on +91 22 40140777 or write a mail at [email protected] and state your query. You can also contact us here.
I hope you found the blog helpful. Thanks for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many times visa can be rejected?
There is no limit to how many times you can apply for a visa and how many times it can be rejected! Some countries have a waiting period before you can re-apply (it differs from country to country). If you don’t fix the issue of why your visa was rejected, it will be denied again!
2. How to check visa status?
To check visa status, you must visit that country’s official website and navigate the visa status webpage. Enter required details like passport number or acknowledgement number to check the status.
3. Can you appeal against the refusal of a visa?
Although there is no formal appeal process, you can re-apply if your visa is denied. Whether you can appeal or not differs from country to country, and the reason why your visa was rejected.
4. What is the main reason for the visa rejection?
The most common reason for visa rejection is improperly filling out the visa application form or failing to show the supporting documents.
5. Is Apostille or attestation required for visa application?
An apostille or attestation is the first and most important step in the visa application process. Without Apostille or attestation, the visa application will be rejected.
6. Is a visa interview important for visa approval?
Yes, a visa interview is one of the most critical steps in getting a visa. Even if you have done all the documentation processes properly and get nervous during the interview, your visa will be rejected. So always appear confident while giving the interview.
7. Is the visa process the same for a student and work visa?
No! Depending upon the visa type, the reason for travel, and the country for which you are seeking entry, the visa application process will be different.

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