What This Means for Ethiopian Visa Applicants?
- Tougher Evidence Requirements: EU member states can no longer waive the requirement for Ethiopians to submit specific documentation with their visa applications. This means applicants will need to provide more detailed proof to support their visa requests.
- No More Multiple Entry Visas: Ethiopians will no longer be eligible for multiple entry visas, which allow them to enter the EU multiple times within a validity period.
- Visa Fee Increase: Holders of diplomatic and service passports will no longer be exempt from visa fees.
- Longer Processing Times: The standard visa processing time has been extended from 15 to 45 calendar days, potentially causing significant delays for applicants.
The EU regularly evaluates third countries’ cooperation on readmitting their citizens who are found to be illegally residing in the EU. The commission found that Ethiopia has a low rate of accepting readmission requests and is not issuing enough travel documents to facilitate these returns. This lack of cooperation prompted the EU to implement stricter visa measures.
This suspension of certain visa code provisions is temporary. The EU Commission will continue to monitor Ethiopia’s progress on readmission cooperation. If Ethiopia improves its cooperation, the stricter visa measures could be lifted.
