The European Union has made it more difficult for Russian citizens to enter the ID-check-free travel area of Europe in view of the increased security risks stemming from Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, including the weaponisation of migration, acts of sabotage and the potential misuse of visas.
“We now face unprecedented drone disruptions and sabotage on our soil,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement announcing the stricter visa rules. “Travelling to and freely moving within the EU is a privilege not a given.”
Russian nationals can no longer obtain multiple-entry visas for the Schengen area, which comprises 25 of the 27 EU member countries, as well as Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. Instead, they must apply for a new visa each time they wish to travel to Europe. This change will enable closer and more frequent scrutiny of applicants to address potential security risks, according to the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch.
“Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine continues to pose a serious threat to European security, with heightened risks related to sabotage, disinformation and drone incursions in the Union. The EU has consistently tightened entry conditions for Russian nationals since the onset of this illegal aggression. By further restricting visa rules, we are taking an additional and necessary step to safeguard the security of the European Union and its citizens,” stated Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
Exceptions will be made for individuals whose reliability and integrity are beyond doubt, such as dissidents, independent journalists, and human rights defenders, as well as for close family members of Russians residing in the EU or EU citizens living in Russia. The EU suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has since decided to prioritise the restrictions on visa issuance to Russian nationals, leading to a significant decrease in the number of visas issued—from over 4 million in 2019 to approximately 500,000 in 2023.
While the new measures make the visa application process more cumbersome, they do not constitute a complete ban. Additionally, this week, the European Commission urged Serbia to stop granting citizenship to Russians, as this facilitates their entry into Europe and poses potential security risks for the EU.
