EU weighs tighter restrictions on Russian tourist visas, diplomatic movement

European Union member states are debating tougher restrictions on Russian tourist visas and further curbs on the movement of Russian diplomats across the bloc, as part of the upcoming 19th sanctions package against Moscow. 

The push to tighten entry comes amid a surge in Russian tourist arrivals. According to European Commission data, over half a million Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens in 2024—an increase from the previous year. Some diplomats argue that the current visa regime sends the wrong message, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“We can’t just accept Russians travelling and enjoying their lives while their government is killing Ukrainians and threatening our security on a daily basis,” one EU diplomat stated, emphasizing that many of those entering are from Russia’s affluent middle class.

Countries bordering Russia—such as Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia, and Finland—have already implemented strict visa bans. However, tourism-reliant nations like Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and Hungary have remained relatively open, causing a rift among member states.

Some capitals are pushing for a total ban on Russian visitors, though such a measure would require a qualified majority. An alternative under consideration is harmonizing entry rules across the EU, which currently remain under the jurisdiction of individual states.

The debate also extends to limiting the mobility of Russian diplomats within the Schengen area. Czechia and other frontline states have advocated for restricting diplomatic travel to the country of accreditation, citing concerns over espionage.

“Last week’s arrests in Romania and expulsion of a Belarusian ‘diplomat’ from Prague is yet another proof we should limit the movement,” a second EU diplomat said.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský echoed the sentiment: “This case shows that we must not allow Schengen to be abused for hostile activities. Agents shielded by diplomatic privileges must not have free rein across Europe.”

Still, enforcement remains a challenge, and some EU members are wary of potential retaliation from Moscow.

Meanwhile, Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, wrote earlier this week in a letter to the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas that the bloc should target oligarchs and propagandists rather than tourists.

“Sanctions should be aimed at oligarchs, security officials, propagandists, and other accomplices of the regime, not at ordinary citizens,” Navalnaya said.

By Vafa Guliyeva