The European Commission has tightened Schengen visa rules for Russian citizens, limiting most new applicants to single-entry permits, citing security risks linked to the war in Ukraine.

The European Commission says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reshaped security risks tied to visa screening, prompting stricter entry rules for Russian nationals.

From now on, most Russian passport holders living in Russia will receive single-entry Schengen visas only.

“The new rules severely restrict the issuance of multiple-entry visas… certain limited exceptions remain,” said Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert on Friday.

Exemptions include:

Close family members of EU or Russia-based legal residents – eligible for multiple entries up to 1 year

Transport workers – eligible up to 9 months

Case-by-case approvals for applicants such as dissidents, independent journalists, human-rights defenders, and civil society representatives

The new policy is not retroactive and applies only to new applications.

Context

Visa restrictions were first tightened after Moscow’s war in Ukraine in 2022, when the EU suspended its Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russiamaking applications costlier and more complex.

Lammert confirmed the Commission is assessing additional measures with member states, but stressed that a total ban on multi-entry visas has not been formally adopted so far, despite recent media reports.

According to EU data, Schengen visas issued to Russians dropped from over 4 million in 2019 to 500,000 in 2023 following the initial restrictions.

Separately, under the EU’s 19th sanctions package, Russian diplomats must now notify member states before traveling within the Schengen zone, part of efforts to curb “hostile intelligence activity.”

A new visa strategy is expected next month, encouraging EU states to use visa policy as a security tool against countries considered high-risk.

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