European Commission plans stricter visa rules for Russians

The European Commission is developing a new visa strategy for Russian citizens that will include tighter controls and restrictions, Politico reports, citing sources within the Commission.

The commission confirmed the plans and noted that it suspended the visa facilitation agreement with Russia in 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That decision made obtaining a visa more difficult and costly for Russian citizens.

“Since 2022, we have also issued clear guidance to help member states avoid giving priority visas to Russians and to emphasise the importance of security and border control,” spokesperson Markus Lammert said during a briefing on Sept. 15.

For years, Russian nationals benefited from privileged access to EU visas under a facilitation agreement that was signed in 2007, which reduced fees, required less documentation, and often expedited processing. Even after Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, these privileges largely remained in place, unlike for Ukrainians, who only received visa-free travel to the EU in 2017, after years of reforms and negotiations. 

According to Politico’s sources, the new guidance for EU countries will propose stricter limits on visa issuance for Russians and citizens of other hostile states. Updated rules are expected to be published by the end of the year.

“The new visa strategy is indeed in preparation. As for next steps, you just need to follow updates,” Lammert said.

The European Commission did not provide figures for Russian visas issued this year. Lammert noted that EU countries issued about 517,000 visas to Russians in 2023 and 541,000 in 2024, compared with over 4 million in 2019.