The Council has decided to temporarily restrict visa provision for Somali nationals. This decision follows an assessment by the Commission, which concludes that cooperation by Somalia on readmitting its nationals staying irregularly in the EU is insufficient.
The suspension decision applies to all applications lodged from 23 June 2026 by Somali nationals falling within the scope of the measures. The suspension decision is temporary but does not come with a specific end date.
The measures and their implementation
- The processing time of 15 calendar days is no longer applied. The normal processing time is set to 45 days for all cases subject to the visa restrictions.
- The possibility to waive requirements regarding the documents that visa applicants must submit is removed. This means that applicants must submit a complete set of supporting documents proving that the entry conditions are met with each application. Missing documents can result in a refusal.
- only single-entry visas can be granted
- Holders of diplomatic and service passports are no longer exempt from the visa fee.
Exemptions
This Decision shall not apply to nationals of Somalia who are:
- family members of a Union citizen to whom Directive 2004/38/EC applies when accompanying or joining the Union citizen;
- family members of a national of a third country enjoying a right of free movement equivalent to that of Union citizens under an agreement between the Union and a third country; or
- family members of a UK national who is a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary, provided that the family members concerned are entitled to join the Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary in the host State and apply for a visa for this purpose.
- Please note that EU citizens residing in the Member State of their own nationality do not normally benefit from the rights granted by the Directive (as there is no element of free movement). For example, a Swedish citizen living in Sweden do not hold a right of residence based on Directive 2004/38/EC in his/her home country, unless he or she returned to Sweden after having utilised the right of free movement in another Member State for a certain period.
The decision also does not apply to citizens of Somalia who apply for a Schengen visa to participate in meetings with international intergovernmental organizations or at international conferences organized by a Member State. It also does not apply to those who are covered by a multilateral agreement conferring privileges and immunities; or pursuant to the 1929 Treaty of Conciliation (Lateran Pact) concluded by the Holy See (Vatican City State) and Italy, as last amended.
For more information : Somalia: Council restricts visa provision - Consilium
Last updated 08 Jul 2026, 3.14 PM
