A group of 11 European countries has officially appealed to the European Commission demanding an immediate cessation of Schengen visa issuance to Russian citizens. This was reported by sources within EU diplomatic circles.
In their joint appeal, the countries insist on a complete suspension of tourist and other short-term visas for Russians. Among the initiators are nine EU member states: Poland, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, as well as two non-EU Schengen countries — Norway and Iceland.
According to European Commission data, Russian citizens received more than 620,000 Schengen visas in 2025. A significant portion of them were tourist and visitor visas. The authors of the appeal believe that continuing to issue visas under the current geopolitical conditions is unacceptable.
“While Russia continues its aggressive war against Ukraine, European countries should not provide Russian citizens with free access to the Schengen Area,” the document states.
This initiative reflects growing discontent in Eastern and Northern Europe with the policy of “partial restrictions” that has been in place since 2022. Previously, the EU introduced several measures for Russians, including higher visa fees and priority processing for certain categories, but a full ban on tourist visas has not yet been implemented.
As of now, the European Commission has not provided an official response to the appeal from the eleven countries. Any decision on this issue requires consensus among all 27 EU member states, making its adoption unlikely in the near future without significant pressure.
This initiative could become one of the strictest visa restrictions against Russians since the beginning of the full-scale conflict.