The EU ended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia in September 2022 after Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, complicating and increasing the cost of the application process.
However, visa decisions are up to individual member countries, so the Commission cannot enforce a broad ban on Russian entries into the bloc.
This leads to diverse national policies. Some countries like Poland, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania restrict or nearly halt visa applications from Russians except for specific cases, whereas others such as Hungary, France, Spain, and Italy are more lenient.
In 2024, over half a million Russians obtained Schengen visas, based on Commission data — a significant rise from 2023, though still below prewar numbers, with over 4 million granted in 2019.
The Commission’s forthcoming strategy for the bloc, to be unveiled in December, won’t enforce binding rules but will provide common recommendations that include stricter entry criteria for Russians, as per a Commission official.
A Brussels call for evidence indicates the plan will partially “focus on addressing emerging challenges, particularly those related to security risks.”













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