We build on six official sources and compute our own indicators on top of them. This page states plainly what is taken as-is, what we calculate ourselves, and where the limits of each figure lie.
Every figure on the site comes from one of these. Nothing is invented or estimated by eye.
The entry type for each of 39,602 passport-to-destination pairs: visa-free with a day limit, visa on arrival, e-Visa, ETA, visa required, or no admission.
Applications, visas issued and refusals at every Schengen consulate worldwide. We unpack the spreadsheet into 1514 filing-country to Schengen-state pairs and compare two releases (2024 and 2025) to show the change.
Adjusted refusal rate for B-1/B-2 visas across 197 nationalities. We take two consecutive fiscal years (FY2024 and FY2025) and join them.
Time until the next free slot across 239 consular posts in 171 countries. We map posts to countries — the source lists cities only.
The outcome of every visitor-visa application by nationality: issued, refused, decision volume. 119 countries, 2024 and 2025.
Where visa applications are physically accepted. In the EC statistics a row exists only for a working consulate — that is the proof it operates. Distances come from country coordinates.
How many temporary-residence applications were processed and approved for each country of citizenship. Canada does not publish refusals separately, so we derive the not-approved share as the gap — which also includes withdrawals. Broader scope than elsewhere: visits, study and work combined.
The official publications give absolute numbers. Everything that makes them readable is our own work, and the difference matters.
A country's strictness rank, the median and average across all countries, and the deviation of a given rate from them in percentage points. The volume thresholds are ours too.
Year-over-year change is computed by joining two releases. For visa-rule history we use our own openness scale, from "no admission" up to visa-free — moving up the scale is an easing.
Mapping consular posts to countries, great-circle distances between countries, and picking the nearest place to file when there is no local mission.
The part usually left unsaid. Knowing these caveats is what makes the numbers usable.
Data source: VISAXS (https://visaxs.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0
Our derived calculations and exports are published under CC BY 4.0. The underlying official data remains under its own licences, listed above. Dataset catalogue →
Because they are counted differently. The European Commission records by place of filing — the consulate located in a country. The State Department and Home Office count by the applicant's nationality. On top of that, the US figure covers B-1/B-2 visas, the UK one visitor visas, and Schengen short-stay visas. We show the three side by side, but they should be read as orders of magnitude, not as strictly comparable shares.
The moment a change entered our dataset snapshot, not the date of the official government decision. The decision may have been taken earlier, between two of our snapshots. If a rule changed and reverted between snapshots, we would not see it.
Small-number effects: when only a few hundred applications are filed, one or two refusals move the share dramatically. That is why our rankings apply thresholds — at least 1,000 applications for Schengen and 200 decisions for the UK. For the UK "sharpest rise" we use a higher bar of 10,000 decisions, because visa-free countries that moved to an ETA produce misleading statistics.
Taken as-is: the absolute numbers — applications, visas issued, refusals, wait times, entry type. Computed by us: strictness ranks, medians and averages, deviations from them, year-over-year change, the openness scale behind the change history, distances to the nearest consulate, and the "hardest destination" pick.
Yes. Our derived calculations and exports are published under CC BY 4.0 — copy, adapt and use commercially, the only condition is a link back to the source. The underlying official data stays under its own licences, listed above.
It shows the picture and the trends, but does not replace the official source. Visa rules change between our snapshots, appointment waits shift weekly, and a refusal rate says nothing about your particular application. Always confirm with the embassy or consulate of your destination before you travel.