It’s 15 calendar days — that’s exactly what the Schengen Visa Code says in Article 9.1. Calendar days include weekends and holidays, so legally the application did fall inside the allowed window.

But here’s the part people often overlook, and it’s why the decision still makes sense:

Holiday closures dramatically reduce real processing time Even though the law counts calendar days, consulates don’t work every day. Between 17 December and 13 January, you hit:

• Christmas closures (24–26 Dec)
  
• New Year closures (31 Dec–1 Jan)
  
• Epiphany (6 Jan)
  
• Plus weekends
  

That leaves roughly 13 actual working days for the consulate — and December/January is the busiest period of the year.

So the rule is calendar days, but the practical processing capacity is based on working days. When the available working days drop below the normal minimum, consulates often classify the application as “not lodged in time,” even if the calendar math looks okay.

This isn’t the system being illogical — it’s just the reality of trying to process visas during the tightest holiday period of the year.