Politico: EU to tighten visa rules for Russians

The European Union is expected to approve new restrictions on issuing Schengen travel visas to Russian citizens by the end of this week, Politico reported, citing three diplomatic sources, according to European Pravda.

Under the new rules, Russian nationals will only be eligible for single-entry visas to the Schengen area, a zone of European countries that have abolished internal border controls that allows people to travel freely between them without passport checks. 

Exceptions will be made only in limited cases. For example, on humanitarian grounds or for individuals who also hold citizenship of an EU member state.

The decision is expected to be formally approved and take effect later this week.

“Brussels had already made it harder and more expensive for Russians to obtain visas, suspending its visa facilitation agreement with Moscow in late 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” the report said.

Some EU member states — including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland — have gone even further by imposing stricter measures, effectively banning most Russian citizens from entering their territories, the report adds.