The European Union is discussing a new tightening of visa practices for Russian citizens, but there is still no talk of a full ban on Schengen visas. Politico reported this, citing three European officials.
According to the outlet, Brussels is considering a model under which multiple-entry visas would be issued far less often, with preference shifting toward more limited entry permits. Exceptions could remain, the report says, for humanitarian cases and for Russians holding dual citizenship with an EU member state.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the visa regime has already become much stricter: the visa facilitation agreement was suspended, fees and processing times increased, and some countries stopped admitting tourists with Russian passports.
At the same time, the European Commission cannot itself impose a total visa ban on Russians, because visa issuance remains the responsibility of individual states. European Commissioner for Migration and Internal Affairs Magnus Brunner previously stressed that the EU has no mechanism for a complete ban, although rising visa numbers in some countries are causing concern.
“Visas are the competence of the member states, so the European Union has no possibility to fully ban their issuance,” Brunner said.
In the coming month, the European Commission plans to present a strategy with general recommendations for stricter use of visa policy toward Russians. At the same time, the 19th sanctions package is expected to include added controls on the movement of Russian diplomats within the Schengen area.
At present, visas for Russians are still mainly issued by Italy, France, Spain and Greece. However, checks have tightened there as well, and refusals may be issued without explanation. In practice, tourist travel remains possible, but the risk of rejection is high, and entry routes into the EU have become far more complicated because of closed land borders and other restrictions.
According to the European Commission, Russians received more than half a million Schengen visas in 2024. That is more than in 2023, but far below the level of 2019, when more than 4 million visas were issued.