The European Union has taken a decisive step in tightening visa restrictions for Russian citizens, a move that reflects mounting security concerns almost four years into Russia’s war on Ukraine. Announced on November 7, 2025, by the European Commission, the new rules effectively suspend the issuance of multiple-entry Schengen visas for most Russian nationals residing in Russia. Instead, they will now be limited to single-entry permits, forcing applicants to reapply each time they wish to visit the EU. The decision, which is not retroactive and applies only to new applications, comes amid rising fears of sabotage, hybrid warfare, and misuse of travel privileges by Russian operatives and state actors.
"Travelling to and freely moving within the EU is a privilege not a given," stated EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, underscoring the gravity of the situation. According to Euractiv, Kallas emphasized, "Starting a war and expecting to move freely in Europe is hard to justify." The European Commission cited a host of security risks linked to Russian visa applicants, including acts of sabotage on EU territory, cyber and industrial espionage, and the potential for visas to be misused for propaganda or subversive activities. Drone disruptions and unexplained airspace incursions have heightened these concerns, with multiple EU countries reporting increased incidents in recent months.
Under the revised policy, most Russian citizens living in Russia will receive only single-entry Schengen visas. Markus Lammert, a spokesperson for the European Commission, clarified at a press conference that "the new rules severely restrict the issuance of multiple-entry visas… certain limited exceptions remain." These exceptions include close family members of Russians or EU citizens residing in the EU, who may receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to one year. Transport workers, such as seafarers, truckers, and train crew, are eligible for multiple-entry visas valid up to nine months. Additionally, dissidents, independent journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society representatives may receive case-by-case approvals for multiple-entry visas, provided their integrity and reliability are beyond doubt.
The Commission’s statement, as reported by Meduza, highlighted that the changes do not affect Russian nationals who hold EU citizenship or legal residency in a member state. Nor do they impact the hundreds of thousands of Russians who fled abroad after the 2022 invasion and subsequent mobilization. These individuals remain eligible to apply for multiple-entry visas at EU consulates outside Russia, although the process has become more challenging since 2022, when the EU began tightening rules for applications in third countries such as Kazakhstan, Serbia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
While the new rules are designed to make it even more difficult for Russian citizens residing in Russia to obtain Schengen visas, implementation is expected to vary by member state. The European Commission has left room for national governments to exercise discretion, allowing them to issue multiple-entry visas to applicants who can justify a need for frequent travel and demonstrate trustworthiness. As The Bell noted, when the EU previously tightened visa restrictions in 2023, member countries responded in different ways—some increased processing times or application fees, while others imposed outright bans. Germany has already announced its intention to comply with the new restrictions, but with only around 1,200 multiple-entry visas issued to Russians in 2024, its impact may be limited compared to larger issuers like Italy, France, Spain, and Greece.
According to European Commission statistics, Russians submitted more than 600,000 Schengen visa applications in 2024. Italy issued over 152,000 visas, including 108,000 multiple-entry; France issued around 124,000, with more than 40,000 multiple-entry; Spain over 111,000, with 11,000 multiple-entry; and Greece about 60,000, with over 23,000 multiple-entry. The overall number of Schengen visas issued to Russians plummeted from over 4 million in 2019 to just 500,000 in 2023, following the initial wave of restrictions after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The EU’s tougher stance is not limited to ordinary travelers. Under the bloc’s 19th sanctions package, Russian diplomats must now notify member states before traveling within the Schengen zone, a measure intended to curb hostile intelligence activity. The European Commission is also pressing Serbia to halt the practice of granting citizenship to Russians, warning that it poses potential security risks for the EU by facilitating easier access to the Schengen area.
Not everyone within the EU is fully aligned on the new measures. The French Embassy in Moscow told RBC that France’s visa policy "remains unchanged," even after the European Commission’s announcement. Meanwhile, tourist hotspots such as France, Spain, and Italy continue to provide the bulk of visas to Russians, prompting debate over whether the new restrictions will have the intended effect or simply shift travel patterns.
Proponents of the tougher rules argue that ordinary Russians should feel the consequences of their government’s actions, especially as the war in Ukraine drags on. Hawkish EU countries have long advocated for stricter limits, insisting that tourism and free movement should not be taken for granted during wartime. On the other hand, critics—including prominent Russian opposition figures—warn that broad restrictions risk playing into the Kremlin’s narrative of a hostile West. Yulia Navalnaya, a leading opposition voice, argued in September that such measures are "counterproductive" and could isolate Russian society further. In a letter to Kaja Kallas, Navalnaya urged the EU to focus on targeting the elite close to President Vladimir Putin, rather than imposing blanket penalties on ordinary citizens. "For the purpose of achieving peace in Europe it is counterproductive to assist Russian authorities in isolating Russian society," she wrote.
The new rules do not affect long-stay visas (Type D), so Russian nationals can still apply to work or study in the EU. However, short-stay travel for tourism or business will now require a fresh application for each trip, allowing EU authorities to scrutinize applicants more closely and frequently. The European Commission has signaled that a new visa strategy is on the horizon, expected in December 2025, which will encourage EU states to use visa policy more assertively as a security tool against countries deemed high-risk.
As the EU navigates the complex balance between security and openness, the latest visa restrictions mark a significant escalation in its response to Russia’s ongoing aggression. Whether these measures will achieve their intended goals or prompt further debate within the bloc remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the days of easy travel for Russian citizens to Europe are over, at least for now.
