TIGHTENING VISA POLICY TOWARDS RUSSIANS AS OF JANUARY 2027

BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 11 /SRNA/ – The European Commission is preparing a plan to tighten the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians starting in January 2027, citing certain Russian "hybrid threats" as the reason, Politico reported.

According to the newspaper, the European Commission intends to propose “stricter visa rules for hundreds of thousands of Russians who visit EU countries as tourists every year”.

Citing unnamed sources, Politico noted that Brussels is attempting, in particular, to prevent 650,000 veterans of the special military operation from entering the EU.

The newspaper noted that Sweden, Poland and Estonia are actively supporting these restrictions, arguing that Russian tourists pose a hybrid threat to Europe’s defence industry, which produces weapons for Ukraine.

The specific restrictions details have not yet been disclosed.

EU visa policy does not fall under the exclusive authority of the European Commission; it remains primarily the responsibility of the member states. The European Commission can only issue recommendations on amending visa rules. For such a decision to become binding on all EU member states, it must be approved by all member states in the EU Council at interior ministerial level.

Despite the restrictions, according to Eurostat data, the number of Schengen visas issued to Russians increased by 10.2 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching 620,000.

Of these, 478,000 were tourist visas, while the remainder were issued for family reunification and other travel purposes.