Slovakia temporarily suspends Schengen visa applications for Russian tourists

Slovakia has temporarily suspended the acceptance of Schengen visa applications from Russian tourists, with visas currently available only for athletes, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).

ATOR said all previously scheduled appointments for tourist, business and visitor visa applications would be cancelled. The Slovak visa centre will fully refund service fees, with payments expected to be returned automatically to applicants' bank cards within seven to 15 days, depending on the bank, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

According to the association, the visa centre has advised applicants to monitor further announcements, as the acceptance of applications for other travel purposes is expected to resume after August, although no specific date has been set.

ATOR noted that demand for Slovak visas among Russian travellers has historically been limited.

"However, there is no significant rush for Slovak visas on the market. Slovakia has historically not been among the top destinations for Russian tourists. The statistics for 2025 speak for themselves: Slovakia issued only 1,149 visas to Russian citizens, and only 46% of them were multiple-entry visas. By comparison, Italy issued more than 161,000 Schengen visas to Russians, France issued over 156,000, and Greece issued 59,000 visas," the association said.

By Sabina Mammadli