EU to halt multi-entry visas for most Russians — report

The EU is preparing to sharply tighten visa rules for Russian citizens, ending the issuance of multi-entry Schengen permits in most cases as part of new measures targetting Russia amid Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine, POLITICO reported on Wednesday, citing three European officials.

Under the changes, Russians will generally be granted only single-entry visas, except in limited humanitarian cases or for dual nationals who also hold EU citizenship. “This is another step in the EU’s effort to restrict the movement of Russian nationals and limit Moscow’s influence in Europe,” one official told the outlet.

The decision follows the bloc’s earlier suspension of its visa facilitation deal with Moscow in 2022, which made it harder and more expensive for Russians to obtain EU visas.

Reviving Cold War era practices

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Europe is continuing on its course of confrontation with Russia, reviving all the practices of the Cold War and introducing new elements to them.

"Unfortunately, the Europeans are diligently recalling everything related to the confrontation that took place during the Cold War, and they are just as diligently adding new sophisticated elements to this confrontation," he said.

New restrictions

Some member states, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, have already gone further by banning nearly all Russian visitors outright.

Visa issuance remains a national matter, meaning Brussels cannot impose a complete ban. Still, the new rules—expected to be adopted this week—are part of a wider package designed to curb Russian travel.

More than 500,000 Russians were issued Schengen visas in 2024, according to European Commission data, a rise from 2023 but still far below the 4 million granted before the war.

Hungary, France, Spain, and Italy remain among the more permissive issuers.

Separately, the EU’s 19th sanctions package includes new restrictions on Russian diplomats, who will be required to notify member states before traveling across the Schengen Area to counter what Brussels called “increasingly hostile intelligence activities.”

Peskov, on his part, said Russian diplomats are already limited in their movements within the Schengen area, and it is possible that Brussels will continue to tighten visa regulations for ordinary Russians.

The Commission is also due next month to present a new bloc-wide visa strategy, urging member countries to “leverage visa policy against hostile states” and apply stricter criteria to nationals from Russia and other countries deemed security risks.