11 countries have appealed to the EU to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians
Kyiv • UNN
Eleven countries are demanding that the European Commission stop issuing Schengen visas to citizens of the Russian Federation. In 2025, Russians received more than 620 thousand entry permits.
Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, as well as non-EU countries Norway and Iceland, are demanding that the European Commission urgently block Schengen visas for Russians. This was reported by RMF FM, according to UNN.
As another summer approaches, we, the undersigned ministers, consider it necessary to emphasize once again the need to maintain a restrictive visa policy regarding Russian applicants
The ministers openly admitted that they consider it unacceptable for citizens of the aggressor state to vacation on EU beaches amid mass attacks on Ukrainian civilians and the forced deportation of children.
The increasing number of Russian tourists spending their holidays on European beaches and European resorts, while missiles and drones continue to strike the civilian population and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, is a cause for deep concern
The signatories also express outrage and deep disappointment at the growing number of visas issued to Russians. They claim that in 2025, 477,878 Schengen visas were issued to citizens of the Russian Federation for tourism purposes. A significant portion of these are multiple-entry visas.
This flagrantly contradicts the Commission's recommendations, which call for a strict approach to Russian applicants traveling for non-essential purposes, and represents a serious flaw in our collective policy toward the aggressor state. We find this extremely alarming
As a reminder
The number of Schengen visas issued to Russian citizens last year increased by 10% over the previous year – to more than 620,000. At the same time, the share of multiple-entry visas issued to Russian passport holders decreased.