European Commission pledges to tighten visa rules for Russians after 11 Schengen Zone countries push for restrictions

Source: Euronews

The European Commission has pledged to tighten visa rules for Russian citizens following a formal request from 11 Schengen Zone countries, Euronews reported.

Markus Lammert, the Commission’s spokesperson on migration, said the Commission would propose targeted restrictive visa measures to address “security risks stemming from hostile actions by third countries.”

The new measures are set for adoption in 2027, Lammert said. He declined to specify what they would entail.

11 countries in the Schengen Area called on the European Commission to introduce additional restrictions on issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens. They noted that visa issuance rules are currently applied “unevenly” across Europe, allowing Russians to obtain visas in countries with more lenient conditions and then travel throughout the EU.

According to official EU statistics, in 2025 EU countries issued 620,000 Schengen visas to Russian citizens (10.2% more than the previous year). About three-quarters of visa applications are submitted by Russians to the consulates of France, Spain, and Italy.

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