In a move welcomed by travel managers and Swiss-based multinationals with East-African operations, the Federal Council announced on 12 June 2026 that it is immediately lifting the special visa restrictions it had imposed on Ethiopia two years ago. The 2024 measures – adopted in lock-step with the European Union – had required most Ethiopian applicants to provide extensive supporting documentation, pay full fees, and wait longer for decisions because Addis Ababa was judged to be unco-operative on the return of irregular migrants. The EU reinstated standard Schengen Visa Code rules in May after judging Ethiopian co-operation on returns to have “markedly improved.” As an associated Schengen state, Switzerland has now followed suit. Effective immediately, Swiss missions may waive certain supporting documents, exempt holders of diplomatic and service passports from the CHF 80 visa fee, issue multiple-entry visas, and process applications within 15 days. Corporations sending staff from Addis Ababa or the Ethiopian diaspora for meetings in Basel or Geneva should therefore see faster turnaround times – a welcome development ahead of the autumn trade-fair season.
![Switzerland lifts Schengen-area visa restrictions on Ethiopian nationals]()
For HR teams that would rather not navigate the shifting documentation landscape themselves, VisaHQ can step in as a one-stop facilitator. The company’s platform helps applicants complete Swiss Schengen visa forms online, pre-screens supporting documents, books biometric appointments and offers courier services to and from Swiss missions—saving both time and compliance headaches. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/
Compliance teams should note that all other Schengen requirements (biometric enrolment, medical insurance, purpose-of-stay evidence) remain unchanged. Employers are advised to audit invitation-letter templates and update intranet travel guidance to reflect the shorter lead times. HR teams should also monitor rejection rates over the next quarter; neighbouring EU states will be watching Swiss practice closely, and any spike in non-compliant applications could prompt Brussels to revisit the relaxations. For Swiss authorities the decision also signals that the country continues to align with EU visa policy despite domestic political pressure to tighten immigration rules ahead of Sunday’s referendum on capping the population at ten million.
For HR teams that would rather not navigate the shifting documentation landscape themselves, VisaHQ can step in as a one-stop facilitator. The company’s platform helps applicants complete Swiss Schengen visa forms online, pre-screens supporting documents, books biometric appointments and offers courier services to and from Swiss missions—saving both time and compliance headaches. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/
Compliance teams should note that all other Schengen requirements (biometric enrolment, medical insurance, purpose-of-stay evidence) remain unchanged. Employers are advised to audit invitation-letter templates and update intranet travel guidance to reflect the shorter lead times. HR teams should also monitor rejection rates over the next quarter; neighbouring EU states will be watching Swiss practice closely, and any spike in non-compliant applications could prompt Brussels to revisit the relaxations. For Swiss authorities the decision also signals that the country continues to align with EU visa policy despite domestic political pressure to tighten immigration rules ahead of Sunday’s referendum on capping the population at ten million.
