You may appeal against this decision. The decision to refuse a Schengen visa and the reasons for the refusal are notified using a standard form that is handed out by the Member State's consulate that refused the visa. The notification of the refusal must include the reasons, on which the refusal were based, and the procedures and deadlines for submitting an appeal.

When a Member State represents another for the purpose of issuing visas (e.g. France represents the Netherlands), the appeal procedure will be that of the Member State who took the final decision, i.e. the representing Member State which is in this example, France.

You are free to re-apply again if your application has been refused earlier.  However, it is recommended that you take note of the reasons for the earlier refusal before submitting a new application and make amendments, where necessary.

The visa fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. The visa fee covers the cost of the examination of the visa application.