The EU plans to tighten visa rules for Russians as early as next year
The European Commission has announced plans to introduce new restrictions on the issuance of visas to Russian citizens. These changes may be included in the revision of the EU Visa Code, which is scheduled to be presented in 2027.
The initiative comes amid increasing political pressure on EU countries that continue to actively issue Schengen visas to Russian citizens.
European Commission spokesperson for migration Markus Lammerth stated that Brussels is preparing additional measures to minimize security risks.
“We will propose introducing targeted restrictive visa measures to further address security risks arising from hostile actions by third countries. This is part of next year’s revision of the Visa Code,” Lammerth said.
However, the European Commission did not specify exactly what changes might be implemented.
According to the European Commission representative, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of Schengen visas issued to Russian citizens has decreased significantly.
Until 2022, Russians received about 4 million Schengen visas annually, whereas in 2025, this figure stood at approximately 500,000.
“Restricting the issuance of visas to Russian citizens has been a top priority for the Commission since the very beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2022. We have taken unprecedented measures and will continue to do so,” Lammert emphasized.
Despite the overall decline, some EU countries continue to actively issue Schengen visas to Russian citizens.
Last year, France issued nearly 180,000 visas to Russians, becoming the leader among EU countries; Italy issued about 160,000 visas; and Spain issued nearly 100,000 visas to Russian citizens.
The European Commission’s statement came after an appeal from a coalition of 11 European countries. It included:
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- Estonia
- Iceland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Sweden
In a joint letter, the countries criticized the uneven application of visa restrictions on Russian citizens and called for tighter controls on security risks.
It is also noted that recently, multiple-entry Schengen visas for Russians have increasingly been replaced by single-entry visas, which is part of a general policy of tightening restrictions following the start of the war against Ukraine.
This was reported by Euronews.
Even after the war ends, Ukraine will maintain strict entry restrictions for Russian citizens, tightening checks and authorization procedures. This was stated by Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, who emphasized that Russia is considered an aggressor state. According to him, a mass influx of Russians into Ukraine is not expected.
Thus, Ukraine is effectively establishing a long-term model of strict border control regarding Russian citizens, which will remain in effect not only during the war but also after its conclusion. Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga made this statement at a joint press conference with Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár.
After the war ends, Ukraine plans to introduce special restrictive entry procedures for Russian citizens. This was announced by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga during a press conference in Vinnytsia. According to him, this involves enhanced controls, checks, and a permit system for visiting the country.
