The European Union is preparing to remove temporary Schengen visa restrictions placed on citizens of Ethiopia, in a move expected to simplify travel procedures and improve access for Ethiopian travellers heading to Europe.
According to birrmetrics.com, the restrictions, which had resulted in longer visa processing periods, tighter conditions for multiple-entry visas, and reduced flexibility on fees and documentation requirements, were introduced as part of broader migration management measures.
The move follows an EU legal process to repeal Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1341, the measure adopted in April 2024 to restrict the issuing of Schengen visas to Ethiopian nationals. A Council legal text dated May 12, 2026, states that the 2024 decision is to be repealed and that the new decision will take effect on the date of notification.
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The restrictions were introduced after the European Commission concluded that Ethiopia’s cooperation on readmission was insufficient. Readmission refers to the process through which a country verifies and accepts the return of its nationals who no longer have a legal right to stay in EU member states.
Under the 2024 measures, Schengen visa processing for Ethiopian nationals was extended from 15 calendar days to 45 days. EU member states were also barred from issuing multiple-entry visas, waiving some documentary requirements, and waiving visa fees for holders of Ethiopian diplomatic and service passports.
The restrictions applied to applications lodged from June 1, 2024, and affected Ethiopian nationals subject to Schengen visa requirements. The EU said at the time that the suspension was temporary but did not set an end date.
The expected repeal follows a fresh assessment by the Commission, which found “substantial and sustained improvement” in Ethiopia’s cooperation on readmission, particularly in identifying Ethiopian nationals staying irregularly in EU member states, issuing emergency travel documents and organising return operations.
The Commission had tabled the repeal after noting progress through technical and Council working groups, including a Joint Working Group meeting held on February 18, 2026. The EU and Ethiopia have had a non-binding readmission arrangement since 2018.
For Ethiopian travellers, the decision does not remove the Schengen visa requirement. Instead, it would restore the ordinary Visa Code rules, including the standard 15-day processing period and the possibility of multiple-entry visas, subject to the discretion of member states.
The decision is also significant for business mobility. The European Chamber in Ethiopia had raised concerns with the EU delegation in Addis Ababa over the impact of the visa restrictions on its members and on EU–Ethiopia business relations. EuroCham said the restrictions had affected the movement of businesspeople, investors and professionals between Ethiopia and Europe.
The development comes as Ethiopia and the EU seek to rebuild and deepen economic ties. The EU says Ethiopia and the bloc have been partners for 50 years, with cooperation strengthened under the EU–Ethiopia Strategic Engagement framework since 2016. Between 2021 and 2024, the EU allocated 629 million euros to cooperation with Ethiopia.
Europe remains one of Ethiopia’s most important economic partners. The EU is Ethiopia’s leading export market, absorbing 20 percent of the country’s exports in 2024, while Ethiopia continues to benefit from duty-free and quota-free access to the European market under the Everything But Arms arrangement.
The lifting of the restrictions is expected to ease travel for Ethiopian business executives, officials and professionals, while helping restore confidence among European companies operating in Ethiopia.
