EU to tighten visa rules for Russian citizens by year's end – Politico
Photo: The EU will tighten visa requirements for Russian citizens by the end of the year (Getty Images)
The European Union is preparing to tighten the rules for issuing Schengen visas to citizens of Russia and other hostile countries by the end of the year, according to Politico.
A representative of the European Commission, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet that the new guidelines for EU countries, expected to be published at the end of the year, will include recommendations on stricter restrictions for issuing visas to Russians and citizens of other hostile countries.
Two European diplomats from countries bordering Russia said that their governments had been lobbying Brussels for years to adopt such recommendations, and one of the diplomats described them as long overdue.
The EU has previously canceled the agreement on a simplified visa regime with Russia. However, the issuance of visas remains the responsibility of individual member states, which means that the Commission’s executive authority cannot impose a blanket ban on Russians entering EU countries.
National policies of member states vary significantly: some countries, such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, block or severely restrict the issuance of visas to Russian citizens, except in special cases; while others, including Hungary, France, Spain, and Italy, continue to issue visas more liberally.
According to a European Commission representative, the upcoming bloc-wide strategy, expected to be published in December, will not set mandatory rules but will instead outline general recommendations, including stricter entry criteria for Russians.
Restrictions for Russians in the EU
As a reminder, it was earlier reported that the German government intends to push for stricter restrictions on issuing visas to Russian citizens for travel to Schengen countries as part of a new EU sanctions package.
In addition, several Schengen countries have introduced border controls. This measure has become a forced response to the rising number of migrants and Russian espionage.
It was also previously reported that the interior ministers of the Baltic States, Nordic countries, and Poland agreed to ban entry into the Schengen area for Russian citizens who participated in the aggression against Ukraine.
