EU finalizing plans to tighten visa rules for Russian tourists
European Union officials are finalizing plans to tighten visa rules for hundreds of thousands of Russians who enter EU countries each year as tourists, Politico reported on Oct. 11.
EU authorities are currently finalizing plans to impose stricter visa regulations on Russian tourists, according to a report from Politico on October 11. The European Commission is set to introduce these proposals in the forthcoming year. Several countries, including Poland, Sweden, and Estonia, have been advocating for more stringent visa requirements, particularly for Russians who have taken part in the conflict against Ukraine.
In 2025, Russian citizens obtained approximately 478,000 tourist visas for the Schengen Area, with a substantial number being multiple-entry visas, enabling individuals to freely traverse borders without the need for reapplying for new documents each time. Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer highlighted concerns that this visa system could compromise European security, citing the increasing instances of sabotage, arson, and other hybrid warfare tactics orchestrated by Moscow.
He stated, "It's obvious I think for everyone that we have vulnerabilities in our system that can be exploited by our enemies." The Commission is reportedly preparing a proposal for presentation in January, which Strömmer desires to be launched earlier. Additional EU nations intend to address this matter during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on October 12, proposing supplementary limitations on Russian diplomats within the EU.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called for an end to issuing tourist visas to Russians on October 10, while European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert announced on September 3 that the EU is preparing targeted visa restrictions for Russians in response to hostile actions. On September 2, Deutsche Welle reported that following an incident in Leipzig, Germany closed the Russian consulate general in Bonn, rendering Russian citizens to seek consular assistance only at the Russian Embassy in Berlin.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
