OMM Newsroom
The European Commission said on Monday that further restrictions on visas for Russian citizens could be introduced as EU member states push for tighter travel rules, Anadolu Agency reported.
“We have also taken measures to make it more difficult to have multiple-entry visas for Russian citizens, and the next steps are coming ahead,” commission spokesperson Markus Lammert told reporters at a midday briefing in Brussels.
Lammert said the commission was also working to implement measures following an EU ministers’ decision to establish an entry ban for Russian combatants involved in the war against Ukraine.
He reiterated that restricting visa issuance to Russian citizens had been an EU priority since the war began in February 2022.
The remarks came amid renewed calls from EU member states for tougher restrictions on Russian nationals entering the bloc. In June, 11 Schengen countries sent the commission a letter urging further action on Russian tourist visas and a more coordinated approach across the bloc.
A joint ministerial statement published by Sweden also called for new EU proposals to restrict tourist visas for Russian citizens. It argued that inconsistent application of existing rules undermined the bloc’s collective approach.
In November, the commission introduced stricter rules preventing Russian nationals from receiving multiple-entry Schengen visas, requiring them to apply for a new visa for each trip to the bloc.
