Russian passport (Photo: Depositphotos)

The European Union is preparing to tighten visa rules for Russian citizens, almost completely suspending the issuance of multiple-entry Schengen visas. This was reported by Piolitico with reference to three European officials.

Under the new rules, Russians will mostly receive only single-entry visas. Exceptions are possible only for humanitarian reasons or for persons who also have EU citizenship.

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OP: EU is unlikely to ban tourist visas for Russians, but it will become more difficult to get them

The European Union has made it more difficult and expensive for Russian citizens to obtain visas after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, suspending the visa facilitation agreement. Some EU countries, in particular the Baltic states, have completely banned or severely restricted the entry of Russians into their territory.

The issue of issuing visas is regulated by each member state. Therefore, the European Commission cannot impose a complete ban on the entry of Russian tourists, but it can complicate the procedure.

According to the Commission, more than half a million Schengen visas were issued to Russians in 2024. This is more than in 2023, but significantly less than before the full-scale invasion began – in particular, more than 4 million were issued in 2019. Hungary, France, Spain, and Italy are the most active in issuing visas to Russians today.

The new stricter rules are expected to be part of a broader package of measures to reduce the number of Russians entering the EU. They are to be officially adopted and implemented this week .

The EU also plans to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats. They will have to notify states in advance of crossing the Schengen zone. This is explained by the desire to counteract the Kremlin's "growing hostile intelligence activities".

  • EU governments make money by refusing to issue visas to Russians. In particular, in 2022, the amount of income was €105 million, and in 2023 – €130 million.
  • In June 2025, some EU countries proposed to close the Schengen area to Russians who fought against Ukraine. The proposal was made by the Baltic States, Northern Europe and Poland.