Norway's travel ban on Russian tourists aimed at severing people-to-people ties Statement by Russian MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has condemned Norway's decision to prohibit Russian tourists from entering the country, labelling it as discriminatory.

In a briefing recorded on the Foreign Ministry's YouTube channel, Zakharova stated that despite Oslo's claims that the measures were not aimed at the Russian people, the recent move clearly demonstrates discrimination against Russian citizens.

Zakharova emphasized that the ban on Russian tourists entering Norway is intended to sever ties between people permanently. She announced that Moscow would respond with retaliatory measures, though Russia does not intend to close its borders to Norwegian citizens.

The Norwegian authorities will impose additional restrictions on the entry of Russians who come for tourism or purposes of "non-priority importance" from May 29. They concern citizens who have visas issued by Norway until spring 2022, as well as Schengen visas that are issued by other countries. The exception will apply to Russians travelling to the country to visit relatives, as well as to study or work.

After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the EU tightened the issuance of visas to Russians. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic also banned entry for tourism purposes. Since October 2023, Norway has restricted the entry of cars with Russian licence plates.