Eleven Schengen countries have urged the European Commission to tighten Russian tourist visa rules, warning that uneven national practices create security risks across the travel area.
Anadolu Agency reported Oct. 19 that Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert signaled further measures could follow. The Commission announced no new restriction or start date. His reported remarks followed a June letter in which ministers from the 11 countries sought binding changes to the EU Visa Code.
The ministers warned that differences between national rules can steer applicants toward another Schengen country, with consequences for security throughout the travel area. They said uneven restrictions could also affect participating countries differently economically. Iceland and Norway were among the signatories, so the group was not limited to European Union members.
Citing the Schengen Barometer, the ministers put the number of tourist visas granted to Russian citizens in 2025 at 477,878. The figure counts visas, rather than distinct travelers. The ministers want limits on multiple-entry visas to cover Russian citizens who apply outside Russia as well.
A Commission decision adopted in November 2025 applies to Russian nationals who reside in Russia and apply there for short-stay visas. It restricts multiple-entry visas while allowing them in specified cases. The ministers cited that decision and the EU’s 2022 suspension of visa facilitation with Russia as earlier steps.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called Oct. 12 for an EU-wide halt to Russian tourist visas until Russia ends its war in Ukraine. Lammert said in September that the Commission was preparing targeted measures for a planned revision of the Visa Code. No new EU-wide tourist visa ban has been adopted.
A separate proposal concerns Russian combatants involved in the war in Ukraine. The Commission said in July that the EU had established the basis for an entry ban. Anadolu Agency reported that Lammert discussed further work on the proposal Oct. 19. The ban is not yet in force: necessary implementing measures must come before the Council decides when it takes effect.
