EU Signals Tougher Visa Crackdown on Russian Nationals
"Restricting the issuance of visas to Russian citizens has been a top priority for the Commission from the very start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022. We have taken unprecedented action and we will continue to do so," Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert told a midday press briefing in Brussels.
Lammert outlined the steps already taken, noting that the EU fully suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia in 2022 and issued guidance steering member states to deprioritize applications from Russian nationals. Additional visa restrictions were adopted in 2025.
"The Commission is monitoring the implementation of the guidelines from 2022 very closely," he said, adding that the bloc was working to ensure uniform application of existing measures across member states while actively considering further action.
The spokesperson outlined what those next steps could look like. "We will propose to introduce targeted restrictive visa measures to further address security risks stemming from hostile actions by third countries. This is part of the revision of the visa code that will come early next year," Lammert said.
He also confirmed that the Commission was exploring avenues to restrict Schengen area access for Russian nationals identified as having participated in the war in Ukraine — a measure that would represent a significant escalation in the EU's response to the ongoing conflict.
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