Belarus among world's leaders in obtained Schengen visas

The number of Schengen visas issued to Belarusians in 2012 was almost 700,000.

It is 100,000 visas more than in 2011, the official statistics on the European Commission's website shows.

Belarusians received 693,425 C visas and 10,054 limited territorial validity (LTV) visas in 2012.

Most visas to Belarusians were issued by Poland (291,827). Lithuania issued 193,219 and German 65,809 visas.

The refusal rate is low. Only 0.5% of visa applications were rejected.

According to the statistics, 1,000 Belarusians received 73 Schengen visas, which is the world's highest per capita rate.