Finland has called on the EU to impose a complete ban on tourist visas for Russians

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called on European Union countries to completely halt the issuance of Schengen tourist visas to Russian citizens until Moscow ends the war against Ukraine. Helsinki is also proposing to tighten entry restrictions on individuals in Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, sanctioned individuals, and Russians who have fought against Ukraine.

An official statement from the Finnish ministry emphasizes that as long as Russia continues its aggressive war against Ukraine, its citizens should not be issued tourist visas.

“It is wrong that Russians can travel through Europe, enjoying our way of life and freedoms, while their country is bombing the homes of Ukrainians,” said Elina Valtonen.

According to the head of the Finnish Foreign Ministry, Finland had already banned the issuance of visas to Russians for non-essential travel at the national level back in 2022. Now Helsinki is insisting that similar restrictions be implemented across the entire European Union.

“The same thing must finally happen at the EU level,” Valtonen emphasized.

One of Finland’s arguments was the increase in the number of Schengen tourist visas that Russian citizens are receiving despite the ongoing war against Ukraine.

According to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2025, Schengen Area countries issued nearly 500,000 tourist visas to Russians. Their number has been increasing in recent years.

In light of this, Elina Valtonen called on other EU member states to join a joint letter to the European Commission. In the document, Helsinki aims to call for a tightening of visa policies regarding Russian citizens.

The Finnish side presented five proposals to tighten restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens into the European Union:

• Completely suspend the issuance of tourist visas and permits for other non-essential travel. Finland proposes making this a common policy for all EU member states as long as Russia continues its war against Ukraine.

• Ban the issuance of visas to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and individuals subject to sanctions. The restrictions should apply to people and organizations subject to EU sanctions.

• Restrict entry for Russian athletes and members of sports teams who have close ties to the Russian state. This proposal calls for tighter controls on travel by representatives of Russian sports.

• Tighten restrictions on Russians who fought against Ukraine. Previously, EU countries had agreed on restrictions for former Russian military personnel, but the mechanism for implementing this ban was softened due to disagreements among member states.

• Amend the EU Visa Code to enable faster implementation of restrictions on third-country nationals. Finland proposes creating a mechanism that would allow the European Union to promptly and decisively tighten its visa policy if relations with a particular country deteriorate sharply for political or security reasons.

The European Commission plans to present new proposals on visa policy in January. They are expected to include a tougher approach toward countries that pose a threat to the EU’s security, particularly Russia.

Finland is insisting on a unified approach by all EU countries toward visa restrictions for Russians. Helsinki seeks not only to suspend the issuance of tourist visas but also to impose additional restrictions on certain categories of Russian citizens and to establish a mechanism for rapid response to a deteriorating security situation.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In Brussels, Belgium, the European Commission is preparing proposals to tighten visa rules for citizens of Russia—a state deemed an aggressor. These proposals may be presented in January to strengthen the EU’s defense against hybrid threats.