EU restricts Schengen visa access for Somali nationals over readmission failures

The temporary measures include a ban on multiple-entry visas, tripled processing times, and reinstated fees for diplomatic passport holders

Somali citizens face significantly tighter conditions when applying for Schengen visas after the EU imposed a package of temporary restrictions on June 25. The Council of the European Union said the measures were triggered by Mogadishu's unwillingness to do enough when it comes to accepting Somali citizens that EU countries have told to leave, according to the Council of the European Union.

The restrictions hit several aspects of the visa process at once, making it harder, slower, and more expensive for Somali travelers to access the Schengen area.

What has changed

The most impactful change is that Somali nationals can no longer obtain multiple-entry Schengen visas. Previously, these allowed travelers to cross into the Schengen zone several times on a single visa. That option has now been withdrawn entirely.

On top of that, the standard processing window for Somali visa applications has been stretched from 15 days to 45, a threefold increase that will affect anyone traveling for work, study, tourism, or family reasons.

Two further measures round out the package. Simplified requirements for supporting documents have been suspended, meaning applicants will need to provide a fuller set of paperwork with their submissions. And holders of Somali diplomatic and service passports will once again have to pay visa fees, reversing an exemption that had previously been in place.

Could the restrictions be lifted?

EU officials have stressed that the measures are not permanent. They could be rolled back if Somalia demonstrates meaningful progress in cooperating with the return of its citizens who are in the EU without legal status.

The decision came out of a formal review of how well Somalia has been meeting its obligations under readmission arrangements with the bloc. These agreements require partner countries to track down, acknowledge, and receive back people who entered the EU illegally, whether they are Somali citizens or foreign nationals who used Somalia as a stepping stone into Europe.

A long-running tension

Friction between Somalia and European governments over migration returns is nothing new. In 2024, Somalia went on record asking Berlin to halt plans to forcibly send Somali nationals back. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud raised the issue directly with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a visit to Berlin, with readmission procedures among the topics discussed.

The EU's latest move fits into a broader pattern of European governments using visa policy as leverage to push countries of origin toward greater cooperation on accepting returned migrants and streamlining deportation processes.