TRAVEL & STUDY
Travel & Study
Useful information for traveling from Mali to the European Union (EU), including visas, travel restrictions and embassies, as well as information for coming to study in the EU.
The Delegation of the European Union in Mali does not issue visas. Consular matters remain managed by the member states.
Schengen Visas
With the Schengen agreement, there are no more border controls between 22 EU countries
The agreement abolishes all internal border controls but establishes controls at the Union's external borders and a common visa policy.
The following countries are full members of the Schengen area: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Sweden, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland (who are not members of the Union).
Since March 14, 2013, a new visa information system (VIS) has been put in place in West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) for all applicants wishing to travel to a European country in the Schengen Area. The VIS is a centralised database that allows the exchange of data on short-stay visas between the Schengen States.
All the Consulates of the Schengen States in Bamako are connected to the VIS and record data on short-stay visa applications as well as the related decisions of the visa authorities.
The use of biometric identifiers in the visa application process will further protect applicants against identity theft. This will also prevent false identifications, which in some cases can lead to the refusal of a visa or entry into the territory of a person who is entitled to it. The use of biometric technology guarantees safe, precise and efficient procedures.
The VIS will contain all the requests made by a visa applicant for 5 years as well as the decisions taken by the Consulates on these requests. The VIS central database is very secure, and the data will be processed in accordance with the highest data protection standards. Anyone has the right to obtain communication of the data concerning him recorded in the VIS.
Embassies
The member states of the European Union are represented in Mali by embassies, consulates and cooperation offices
The member states present in Mali are:
Germany
Ambassador: Dietrich Fritz Reinhold Pohl
Belgium
Ambassador: Jurgen Van Meirvenne
Denmark
Ambassador: Rolf M. Hay Pereira Holmboe
Spain
Ambassador: José Hornero Gómez
France
Ambassador: Joel Meyer
Netherlands
Ambassador: Marchel Gerrmann
Sweden
Ambassador: Kristina Kühnel
Czech Republic
Ambassador: Robert Kopecky
Luxembourg
Ambassador: Nicole Bintner-Bakshian (residence in Dakar)
Study
Erasmus + is the EU's programme for education, training, youth and sport in Europe
Between 2014 and 2020, it provided opportunities for four million people to study, train and gain life experience abroad.
For 2021-2027, it has a budget of 26.2 billion euros (17.186 billion FCFA), which is almost double the previous programme from 2014 to 2020.
Erasmus + offers opportunities for mobility and cooperation in:
- Higher education.
- Vocational education and training.
- School education (including early childhood education and care).
- Adult education.
- Youth.
- Sport.
Many countries can benefit from Erasmus + actions at different levels depending on whether they are in the group of countries participating in the programme (including the 27 Member States) or in the group of partner countries (including Mali).
Erasmus + replaces a number of older programmes, including an international exchange programme called Erasmus Mundus.