EU increased issuance of tourist visas to Russians over the year - media
Kyiv • UNN
In 2025, EU countries issued over 620,000 visas to Russians, which is 10.2% more than last year. France, Italy, and Spain granted the highest number of permits.
A sharp increase in the number of Russian tourist visas is being observed in Europe, Euractiv reports, according to UNN.
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"As it turns out, Russians continue to enjoy vacations in Europe. While Moscow continued to bomb Ukraine and kill civilians in 2025, EU governments issued over 620,000 visas to Russian citizens, a 10.2% increase compared to 2024," Euractiv writes, citing obtained confidential data.
The French Riviera, Italian lakes, and Spanish beaches remain on the list of popular destinations for Russians enjoying peaceful mini-vacations. These three countries top the list. In particular, France reportedly saw the strongest growth in 2025 compared to 2024. "Unsurprisingly, Paris questioned the inclusion of this data in the official document during internal EU discussions," the publication points out.
These figures have reportedly caused deep concern among Ukraine's staunchest supporters at the negotiating table. For months, the Baltic and Nordic countries have pushed for stricter visa policies regarding Russian tourists, arguing that European governments should not welcome Russians as long as the Kremlin wages war at the EU's borders.
At the center of the dispute is the little-known "Schengen Barometer"—an internal monitoring tool of the European Commission that typically shows how many visas Russians receive. The largest issuing countries, primarily France, were dissatisfied that this data was included in the report at all, the publication writes.
For a time, France secured a diplomatic victory when this data was excluded from the latest barometer. However, after resistance from member states, including the Baltic countries among others, the data was reinstated, the publication notes.
The European Commission declined to say whether bloc governments had exerted pressure but confirmed that in April it provided EU countries with an updated overview regarding visas issued to Russian citizens.
EU to stop issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russians05.11.25, 23:41 • 4831 view