The European Union has decided to cease the issuance of multiple-entry visas to Ethiopians and has also tightened some other visa regulations.
The Council of the European Union has implemented temporary restrictions on visa provisions for Ethiopians in response to concerns regarding the country's lack of cooperation in readmitting its nationals staying irregularly in the EU. Effective immediately, certain aspects of the EU law governing the issuance of Schengen visas to Ethiopian nationals have been suspended. Under the new regulations, Schengen member states are no longer permitted to waive the requirements for evidence documents that Ethiopian visa applicants must provide, meaning all required documents must be submitted without exception. Furthermore, the Council has prohibited member states from granting multiple-entry visas to Ethiopians, instead issuing only single-entry visas that become invalid upon exiting the Schengen Area. Additionally, waiving the visa fee for diplomatic and service passport holders has been restricted, requiring them to pay a fee when applying for Schengen visas. Furthermore, the standard visa processing period for Ethiopian Schengen visa applicants has been extended to 45 calendar days, up from the previous 15 days.
The Council of the European Union has cited Ethiopia's inadequate cooperation in the readmission of its nationals residing in the EU without proper documentation as the rationale behind its decision. This determination stems from an evaluation conducted by the Commission, which found Ethiopia's cooperation in readmitting its illegally staying nationals in the EU to be insufficient. The Council emphasized the Ethiopian authorities' lack of responsiveness to readmission requests and highlighted ongoing challenges related to issuing emergency travel documents and facilitating voluntary and non-voluntary return operations. While the suspension decision is temporary, no specific end date has been specified. During this period, the Commission will continue to monitor Ethiopia's progress in enhancing readmission cooperation.