EU plans further visa restrictions for Russian citizens

The European Union is preparing to further tighten visa restrictions for Russian citizens as part of broader efforts to address security concerns, a European Commission spokesperson said on Friday, June 5.

Brussels has already implemented a series of measures limiting access to the Schengen area for Russians, and additional steps are now under consideration, according to Markus Lammert.

“Since 2022, we have taken unprecedented actions and continue to do so. In 2022, we suspended the visa facilitation agreement with Russia. Also in 2022, very clear guidelines were adopted regarding the visa regime with Russia, aimed at security and border control. In 2025, we approved very strict rules: Russians can no longer obtain multiple-entry visas,” Lammert said at a briefing in Brussels.

The measures have led to a sharp decline in visa issuance. According to the European Commission, the number of visas granted to Russian nationals has fallen from around 4 million annually in 2022 to approximately 500,000 per year at present.

Lammert said the EU would continue to pursue targeted restrictions in response to what he described as security challenges posed by third countries. These measures are expected to form part of a broader revision of the EU Visa Code scheduled for early next year.

By Tamilla Hasanova