EU member states have agreed to temporarily tighten some short-stay visa rules for people applying from Guinea after concluding that the country is not cooperating enough on taking back its nationals who are staying in the EU irregularly.
The decision follows an assessment by the European Commission based on input from member states, which found Guinea’s cooperation on readmission — the process of a country accepting the return of its citizens — was insufficient, the Council of the EU informed on Friday.
Under the new restrictions, member states will no longer be able to issue multiple-entry visas to Guinean nationals.
They will also no longer be able to waive certain requirements on the evidence applicants from Guinea must submit.
In addition, the EU will no longer waive the visa fee for holders of Guinean diplomatic and service passports.
Applicants will also face a longer standard processing period, with visa decisions taking up to 45 calendar days rather than 15.
How the EU can change visa rules
The measure is temporary but does not include a specific end date, according to the Council.
It said the objective is to encourage Guinea to improve cooperation on readmission, and that the Commission will continue to assess any progress.
Under EU visa rules, the Commission regularly evaluates how non-EU countries cooperate on readmission, using information provided by member states.
If cooperation is judged insufficient, the EU can suspend parts of its short-stay visa rules for that country.
The Commission proposed the restrictions in July 2025, and the Council said it had monitored any potential progress by Guinea on readmission while considering the proposal.
