The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Addis Ababa announced on 16 December that its Consular and Visa Section will be closed from 24 to 26 December because of Christmas holidays and operational reasons. Normal service will resume on Monday, 29 December.
The Ethiopian post is one of only two Czech missions in sub-Saharan Africa that accept long-term visa and employee-card applications under Prague’s Qualified Worker and Highly-Skilled Staff programmes. A three-day shutdown therefore removes a full weekly quota of appointment slots just as manufacturing firms finalise January onboarding for engineers recruited from Ethiopia and neighbouring Kenya.
![Addis Ababa Czech Consulate to Close 24–26 December, Visa Applicants Must Reschedule]()
To cushion the impact, firms can also leverage VisaHQ’s online visa-preparation service (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), which pre-screens documentation, schedules consular submissions and organises reliable courier pick-ups, helping applicants stay on track even when embassy counters are closed.
Corporate-mobility planners are advised to re-book appointments immediately via the embassy’s email reservation system. Given the embassy’s monthly allotment of only 12 business-visa files and 80 employee-card applications, missing a December slot can push start dates into late February. Employers should also factor in courier delays over the holiday period when sending legalised documents and police certificates.
Applicants who need urgent travel during the closure may apply at alternative missions—but only if they already fall under the Czech representation agreements in place with France or Germany, lawyers caution. Otherwise, they must wait until the Addis office reopens. Companies should notify HR departments and assignees of the blackout dates to avoid last-minute surprises.
The Ethiopian post is one of only two Czech missions in sub-Saharan Africa that accept long-term visa and employee-card applications under Prague’s Qualified Worker and Highly-Skilled Staff programmes. A three-day shutdown therefore removes a full weekly quota of appointment slots just as manufacturing firms finalise January onboarding for engineers recruited from Ethiopia and neighbouring Kenya.
To cushion the impact, firms can also leverage VisaHQ’s online visa-preparation service (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), which pre-screens documentation, schedules consular submissions and organises reliable courier pick-ups, helping applicants stay on track even when embassy counters are closed.
Corporate-mobility planners are advised to re-book appointments immediately via the embassy’s email reservation system. Given the embassy’s monthly allotment of only 12 business-visa files and 80 employee-card applications, missing a December slot can push start dates into late February. Employers should also factor in courier delays over the holiday period when sending legalised documents and police certificates.
Applicants who need urgent travel during the closure may apply at alternative missions—but only if they already fall under the Czech representation agreements in place with France or Germany, lawyers caution. Otherwise, they must wait until the Addis office reopens. Companies should notify HR departments and assignees of the blackout dates to avoid last-minute surprises.
