Poland and 10 Other Countries Demand the EU Restrict Schengen Visas for Russians
Poland, together with ten other European countries, has called on the European Commission to urgently tighten visa policies for Russian citizens and create a mechanism for the rapid restriction of Schengen visa issuance in the event of geopolitical threats.
According to RMF FM, the relevant letter to the EC was signed by representatives of Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, as well as Norway and Iceland.
In the appeal, the countries emphasized the need to maintain a strict visa policy towards Russian citizens and called to limit Russian tourist vacations in European Union countries.
"With the approach of another summer, we, the undersigned ministers, consider it necessary to once again emphasize the need to maintain a restrictive visa policy towards Russian applicants," the letter states. The ministers openly acknowledged that they consider it unacceptable for citizens of the aggressor state to vacation on EU beaches amid mass attacks on Ukrainian civilians and forced deportation of children.
"The increase in the number of Russian tourists spending holidays on European beaches and resorts, while rockets and drones continue to strike civilian populations and infrastructure in Ukraine, causes deep concern," the ministers write.
According to the Schengen Barometer, in 2025 Russians received 477,878 tourist Schengen visas, a significant portion of which are multiple-entry.
The document also draws attention to the phenomenon of so-called visa shopping, where Russian citizens bypass strict restrictions of certain Central and Eastern European countries by obtaining visas in other Schengen countries.
Separately, Poland proposes creating a special visa sanctions mechanism that would allow for the rapid restriction of visa issuance for certain categories of applicants or for trips that are not urgently necessary.
In the letter to the European Commission, the countries also put forward a number of legislative demands. In particular, they call for amendments to the EU Visa Code.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel t.me/sudua and to Google News SUD.UA, as well as to our VIBER and WhatsApp, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on the most important events.
