According to them, the European Union will actually stop issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russians.
As the media noted, Russians will only be able to obtain single-entry visas, and exceptions will be made for persons who also have EU citizenship and for humanitarian reasons.
New rules aimed at reducing the number of Russians entering EU countries are expected to be officially adopted and come into force this week.
Context
The EU has previously made it more difficult for Russians to obtain visas by suspending a visa facilitation agreement with Moscow at the end of 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, the Baltic countries have completely banned or strictly limited Russians from entering their territory, Politico emphasized.
However, as the media noted, the issuance of visas remains the responsibility of member countries – although the European Commission can complicate this process, it cannot impose a complete ban on entry into the EU for Russian visitors.
Thus, according to the EC, in 2024 more than half a million Russians received Schengen visas – more than in 2023, but less than, for example, in 2019 (4 million). Hungary, France, Spain and Italy issue the most tourist visas to Russians, Politico indicated.
