Europe Asia News

An EU Commission official told POLITICO that the new guidelines for member states, expected to be published by the end of the year, will propose stricter restrictions on granting visas to Russians and citizens of other “hostile” countries.

Two European diplomats from countries bordering Russia said their governments had long pressed Brussels to issue such guidelines, and one diplomat added that their release had been delayed. The Commission official and diplomats requested anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive matter publicly.

Following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in September 2022, the EU suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia, making the application process more costly and difficult.

However, visas remain the responsibility of member states, meaning the Commission cannot impose a blanket ban on Russians entering the bloc.

As a result, national policies vary widely: Poland, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania block or severely restrict Russian visa applications except in specific cases; while Hungary, France, Spain, and Italy continue issuing visas more flexibly.

According to Commission data, more than half a million Russians received Schengen visas in 2024. Although this marks a significant increase compared to 2023, it remains far below pre-war levels, when more than 4 million visas were issued in 2019.

The Commission official said the bloc-wide strategy, expected to be published in December, will not impose binding rules but will instead set out joint recommendations, including stricter entry criteria for Russians.

According to Brussels’ call for evidence, the plan will partly focus on “addressing emerging challenges, particularly those related to security risks.”