Brussels set to recommend stricter visa rules for Russians

The EU is preparing to toughen its stance on issuing visas to Russian nationals following years of pressure from member countries along its eastern border.

A European Commission official told POLITICO that new guidelines for nations in the bloc, due at the end of the year, will recommend stiffer restrictions on issuing visas to Russians and citizens of other hostile countries.

Two European diplomats from countries bordering Russia said their governments have for years lobbied Brussels to issue such guidance, with one diplomat describing them as long overdue. The Commission official and European diplomats were granted anonymity as they were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive file.

The EU already scrapped its visa facilitation agreement with Russia in September 2022 after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, making the application process more expensive and arduous.

But visas remain the responsibility of individual member countries, meaning the Commission executive cannot impose a sweeping ban on Russians entering the bloc.

As a result, national policies vary widely, with some countries, such as Poland, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania blocking or severely limiting visa applications from Russians except in specific cases; while others, including Hungary, France, Spain and Italy, continue to grant them more liberally.