Several visa centers of European countries operating in Russia have reported difficulties with visa applications. The problems include both longer processing times and the temporary suspension of document intake in some cities.
The Spanish visa center in Moscow said that application processing may now take up to 45 days from the moment documents are received. Previously, the procedure usually took three to four weeks.
The Hungarian visa center announced that from June 29 it is suspending acceptance of visa documents in Kazan, Samara, and Ufa. No reason for the decision was given.
Earlier, on June 25, the Italian visa center said that processing times had increased because of a large number of applications. They now exceed 60 days, whereas previously they were no more than 40 days. Applicants were advised to submit documents no later than three months before travel.
Context
In 2025, Russian citizens received more than 620,000 Schengen visas, which was 10% more than a year earlier. At the same time, the EU tightened entry rules and sharply reduced the issuance of multiple-entry visas.
After that, the share of multiple-entry visas issued to Russians fell within two months from 57% to 12%. Nearly three quarters of all Schengen visa applications from Russian citizens were submitted to France, Italy, and Spain. Those same countries issued 68% of all visas granted to Russians.