The European Union is preparing to tighten visa rules for Russian citizens even more, effectively halting the issuance of multiple-entry visas for entry into the Schengen area, three European officials told Politico, as reported by LETA citing Politico.
It is expected that in the future, Russian citizens will only be issued single-entry visas, except for certain humanitarian cases. Exceptions will also be made for individuals holding EU citizenship.
After Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU has already complicated and increased the cost of obtaining visas for Russian citizens by suspending the simplified visa agreement with Moscow. Some EU member states, such as the Baltic states, have gone even further, completely banning or severely restricting the entry of Russian citizens into their territories.
However, the issuance of visas remains the competence of the individual countries, which means that the European Commission can only complicate the process but cannot impose a complete and comprehensive ban on the entry of Russian citizens into the EU.
According to the European Commission, in 2024, more than half a million Russian citizens received Schengen visas—significantly more than in 2023, although still fewer than before the war. For example, in 2019, over four million visas were issued to Russians. Hungary, France, Spain, and Italy still issue tourist visas to Russian citizens relatively freely.
New, stricter rules are expected to be officially adopted and implemented later this week, Politico reports.
The EU also plans to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats within the bloc, requiring them to notify countries in advance of trips within the Schengen area.
Next month, the European Commission also intends to present its new visa strategy, which will outline general recommendations, including a call for member states to use visa policy more effectively against hostile countries and to apply stricter criteria to Russian citizens.
