11.4% of the 32,536 Schengen applications made to Sweden from India in 2025 were refused — moderate by Schengen standards.
Sweden feels serene and design-led — a capital spread across islands, endless forests and lakes, Arctic wilderness up north, and a culture that prizes balance and the coffee-break ritual of fika. Clean, calm, and quietly captivating.
Applying from India · the real numbers
Moderate- 32,536
- Applications
- 87.8%
- Approved
- 11.4%
- Refused
Handled by VFS Global. Consulates in New Delhi.
2025 figures · European Commission DG HOME (applications made in India). Across all applicants — not a forecast for your file.
Don't-miss places
- Gamla Stan old townStockholm
- Vasa MuseumStockholm
- Gothenburg archipelago & canalsGothenburg
- IcehotelJukkasjarvi, Lapland
- Northern Lights & AbiskoSwedish Lapland
- Visby medieval townGotland
Things to do
- Wander Stockholm's Gamla Stan old town
- See the warship at the Vasa Museum
- Sleep at the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi
- Watch the Aurora from Abisko
What to eat
- Swedish meatballs (köttbullar)
- Cinnamon buns (kanelbullar)
- Gravlax
- Pickled herring
- Toast Skagen
The culture
Meatballs, cinnamon buns, and pickled herring, with the sacred fika (coffee-and-cake break). Swedes value balance, equality, and lagom (just the right amount). Nature is woven into daily life.
When to go
Jun–Aug for long summer days and the archipelago; Dec–Mar for Northern Lights and snow in the north.
Good to know
- Capital
- Stockholm
- Language
- Swedish
- Currency
- Swedish krona (SEK)
- Flight from India
- ~9-11 hrs (1 stop typical)
- Ideal trip length
- 5-7 days
Did you know? Sweden has the 'right of public access', letting anyone roam, camp, and forage across most natural land.
Sweden's documentation standards are exacting, so a clean file pays off. Check yours early to avoid last-minute gaps.
Photo: Skeppsbrokajen Gamla Stan from Skeppsholmen Stockholm 2016 01 · Julian Herzog (Website) · CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons