What is known about European Commission’s plans to restrict visas for Russia, EU reaction

MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. The European Commission and the EU’s diplomatic service are making truly colossal efforts to impose visa restrictions on Russia, but have so far been unable to do so due to opposition from Europe’s leading "tourist" nations, a diplomatic source in Brussels told TASS.

TASS has compiled the key information about the situation.

Desire to restrict visas to Russians

- Since 2022, the European Commission has been making "enormous efforts" to bar as many Russian citizens as possible from entering the EU, a diplomatic source in Brussels told TASS.

- According to the source, the European Commission has spent the last four years trying to implement a plan that would make entry into the EU a privilege for Russians.

- The diplomatic source noted that the body has no direct authority over visa policy; all decisions are made solely by EU member states.

- European Commission Spokesman Markus Lammert previously recalled that the body had persuaded EU countries to revoke the visa facilitation agreement with Russia, which was done in 2022.

- At that time, the European Commission also recommended that EU countries lower their priority on issuing visas to Russian citizens.

- The European Commission is still trying to ensure these recommendations are implemented. In the 22nd package of anti-Russian sanctions, the Commission will once again propose limiting the number of visas issued to Russians and banning entry for participants in the special military operation. EU member states rejected this proposal in June during discussions on the 21st sanctions package, Lammert recalled.

- Earlier, the Swiss diplomatic mission in Moscow tightened its visa issuance practices for Russian citizens, primarily granting visas for specific travel dates based on invitations from immediate family members, Russian Ambassador to Bern Sergey Garmonin told TASS.

Position of EU countries

- The plan cannot be fully implemented due to countries that derive significant revenue from the tourism industry, including Spain, Greece, and Italy, a diplomatic source in Brussels told TASS.

- Armando Mema, a member of the Freedom Alliance national conservative party, called the European Commission’s proposal to impose new visa restrictions on Russia "the height of Russophobia, once again harming European interests."

- A number of EU countries did not support the European Commission’s proposal to impose new visa restrictions on Russia, including against participants in the special military operation, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged at a press conference following an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland.

- She noted that she was unable to convince certain countries that continue to oppose visa restrictions.

Visa issuance to Russians

- Earlier, Lammert reported that in 2025, 680,000 Russians received visas to the EU, which was a 20% increase from 2024, when the number was 560,000.

- He did not provide a clear answer to a follow-up question about the reasons for such a significant increase in the number of visas issued.

- The European Commission spokesman merely stated that this issue falls under the jurisdiction of EU member states, and that the European Commission is making every effort to limit the number of visas issued to Russians.

Decline in tourist traffic from Russia to EU countries

- Tourist traffic from Russia to EU countries has fallen by more than tenfold compared to the pre-pandemic period, the press service of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia told TASS.