More than 10 European countries demand stricter issuance of visas to Russians

A group of European countries called on the European Commission to introduce additional restrictions on the issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens. This is stated in a letter to the head of European diplomacy Kae Kallas and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, write Politico , Deutsche Welle and RMF24 .

Who is in favor of restrictions? The letter was signed by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Interior Minister Marcin Kerwiński. They were joined by ministers from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Iceland. The last two countries are not members of the EU, but are part of the Schengen area.

Reasons. The authors of the letter recall that in September 2022, the European Commission suspended the agreement on a simplified visa regime with Russia and tightened its recommendations for considering applications from Russians. At the same time, many EU countries apply the recommendations “unevenly,” which undermines the unified position of the European Union.

Ministers point out that in 2025, Russians were issued more than 477 thousand Schengen visas, a significant part of which are multiple entry. The authors of the letter consider it “alarming” that “Russian tourists are enjoying their holidays on European beaches and resorts while missiles and drones continue to strike civilians and the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine.”

What do they offer? Those who applied call on the European Commission to continue working on new restrictive measures for issuing visas for Russian citizens. They also demand better monitoring of the implementation of current recommendations. Separately, they ask to use a more stringent approach when issuing visas to participants in the war against Ukraine.

At the same time, the Polish publication RMF24 writes that the authors of the letter call to completely stop issuing Schengen visas to Russians and to block the entry of citizens of “hostile countries” “in the event of a geopolitical threat.”

Context. Last November, the European Commission announced a ban on issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russian citizens. Russians now need to apply for a new visa every time they plan a trip to Europe. An exception is made for journalists and human rights activists, as well as relatives of people living in the EU. In addition, multiple-entry visas will still be available at consulates of third countries.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia stated that from January to March 2026, the number of multiple-entry Schengen visas issued to Russians decreased by 90% compared to the same period last year. In some cases, the drop is estimated at 99%.