KEY TAKEAWAYS

• EU Council has tightened the Schengen visa provisions for Ethiopians.
• Ethiopians will now be issued single-entry visas, and they will not be exempted from submitting any evidence documents.
• Diplomatic and service passport holders will also now have to pay a Schengen visa fee, and the visa processing time has increased to 45 days.

### Council of the European Union Imposes Temporary Restrictions on Schengen Visa Provisions for Nationals of Ethiopia

The Council of the European Union has recently taken measures to impose temporary restrictions on visa provisions for nationals of Ethiopia, citing concerns over insufficient cooperation regarding the readmission of Ethiopian nationals staying irregularly in the EU.

According to SchengenVisaInfo, effective immediately, certain elements of EU law governing the issuance of Schengen visas to Ethiopian nationals have been suspended. This includes the requirement for Ethiopian visa applicants to submit all necessary documents without exemption. Furthermore, the issuance of multiple-entry visas to Ethiopians has been prohibited, with only single-entry visas now being issued, which become invalid upon exiting the Schengen Area.

In addition to these changes, the Council has restricted the waiver of visa fees for diplomatic and service passport holders from Ethiopia, requiring them to pay a fee when applying for Schengen visas. The standard visa-processing period for Ethiopian Schengen visa applicants has also been extended to 45 calendar days, up from the previous 15 days.

The Council's decision comes in response to Ethiopia's perceived failure to cooperate effectively in the readmission of its nationals who are staying illegally in the EU. Despite being temporary, there is no specific end date for these restrictions, with the Commission tasked to continue monitoring Ethiopia's progress in readmission cooperation.