Schengen visa refused? What each reason on the form means

A Schengen consulate that refuses your visa has to tell you why, on one standard EU form with 17 numbered reasons. The boxes it ticks name the part of your application that failed, and that is where both an appeal and a new application start.

The form is Annex VI of the Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009. The consulate sends it in the language of the country that decided and in one other official EU language (Visa Code, Article 32(2)).

The rules at a glance

All from the consolidated Visa Code on EUR-Lex, checked on 2 November 2026.

For scale: consulates received 1.26 million Schengen visa applications from Türkiye in 2025, the second most after China. The refusal rate across all applicant countries was 14.6% (European Commission, 28 May 2026).

The reasons, grouped by what they point to

The quotes below are the form's own wording in Annex VI. Several boxes can be ticked at once, so read them together.

The purpose of the trip: boxes 2 and 10

• 2: "justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not provided"
• 10: "the information submitted regarding the justification for the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable"

Box 2 means something was missing. Box 10 means it was there and the consulate didn't believe it. For box 2, look at what your documents show about the trip itself: a place to stay for every night, an itinerary that matches the bookings, an invitation letter if you stay with someone. For box 10, look for places where the documents disagree with each other: dates, cities, who pays. The trip purpose, itinerary and accommodation pages cover what each document should show.

Money: boxes 3 and 4

• 3: "you have not provided proof of sufficient means of subsistence, for the duration of the intended stay or for the return to the country of origin or residence, or for the transit to a third country into which you are certain to be admitted"
• 4: "you have not provided proof that you are in a position to lawfully acquire sufficient means of subsistence" for the same period

"Sufficient" isn't a single number. Article 21(5) says the means are assessed "in accordance with the duration and the purpose of the stay and by reference to average prices in the Member State(s) concerned for board and lodging in budget accommodation, multiplied by the number of days stayed", using reference amounts each country sets. The same paragraph says proof of sponsorship or private accommodation can count too. So the money has to fit this trip, in this country, for this many days. Box 4 is the other half of the test: whether you can lawfully get the money, from income for example, not only whether it's in the account today. See financial means.

Going home: box 13

• 13: "there are reasonable doubts as to your intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa"

Article 21(1) tells the consulate to give "particular consideration" to whether you intend to leave before the visa expires, and Article 14(1)(d) asks you for information that lets it assess that. What usually answers it is your life at home: a job and approved leave, studies, family, property or a business, and earlier visas you used and came back from on time. See home-country ties and travel history.

Whether your file is believed: boxes 11 and 12

• 11: "there are reasonable doubts as to the reliability of the statements made as regards … (please specify)"
• 12: "there are reasonable doubts as to the reliability, as to the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or as to the veracity of their contents"

Article 21(7) says the examination rests "notably on the authenticity and reliability of the documents submitted and on the veracity and reliability of the statements made by the applicant". Box 11 asks the consulate to say which statements it doubted, so check whether it did. Then compare your form, your documents and anything you said at the appointment: a salary on the employer's letter that doesn't match the statements is the kind of gap this box is about.

Insurance: box 16

• 16: "you have not provided proof of possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance"

Under Article 15, the policy must be valid in all Schengen countries, cover the whole stay, and cover at least EUR 30,000. For a multiple-entry visa it must cover the first intended visit. See travel insurance.

Days already used: box 5

• 5: "you have already stayed for 90 days during the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States on the basis of a uniform visa or a visa with limited territorial validity"

This one is arithmetic. Count your days in the Schengen area in the 180 days before each day of the planned trip, and move the trip if the count goes over 90.

Not about your paperwork: boxes 1 and 6 to 9

• 1: "a false/counterfeit/forged travel document was presented"
• 6: an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) "for the purpose of refusing entry" by a named country
• 7, 8 and 9: one or more countries consider you a threat to public policy or internal security, to public health, or to their international relations

A better bank statement won't change any of these. If one of them is ticked, start with a lawyer in the country named on the form before you apply anywhere again.

Boxes 14 (applying at the border), 15 (airport transit) and 17 (a visa revoked at the holder's request) rarely apply to a visitor applying at a consulate.

Appeal or apply again?

Appeal. You have the right to appeal, against the country that took the final decision and under its own law (Article 32(3)). The bottom of the form names the law, the authority you appeal to, where the procedure is explained, and the deadline. Deadlines differ from country to country, so read that part the day the letter arrives.

Apply again. A refusal doesn't lead to an automatic refusal next time (Article 21(9)), but it is in the VIS and the next consulate sees it. A new application is a new fee: EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11 (Article 16).

Example (made up): Elif lives in İzmir and works freelance as a graphic designer. She applied for ten days in Berlin and Munich and was refused with boxes 2 and 13. Her file had a hotel booking for the first four nights only, a one-line cover letter, and bank statements with irregular payments but nothing showing ongoing work. Box 2 points at the trip, so her new file has a place to stay for all ten nights and a day-by-day itinerary that matches it. Box 13 points at home, so it adds her tax registration, client contracts covering the months around the trip, and the earlier Schengen visa she used and came back from on time.

Our view

Don't reapply a few days later with the same file. The refusal is in the VIS, and the next officer will read it. Apply again when you can show, box by box, what changed.

Where Visa Engine fits

A Schengen case in Visa Engine checks your documents against the trip before you apply. It checks that booking dates match the dates you recorded, the insurance covers the whole trip, the passport is valid for three months after you leave, names match across documents, and the balance on your statement isn't below the amount you say you have. The application pack (cover letter, itinerary, host or sponsor letters) is written only from what you enter, and it never states a date or amount you didn't give. It doesn't predict the decision or file anything for you. The Schengen guide covers each requirement, and the eligibility check walks through the questions in order.

Educational only — not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney for your case.