October 14, 2026

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The European Post

Policy • Diplomacy • strategic insight

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October 14, 2026

Newsletter

The European Post

Policy • Diplomacy • strategic insight

LATEST
Serbia Cluster 3 Opening Splits Capitals Over Rule Of Law TestsPhuket Round Pushes The EU-Thailand Trade Deal Toward Year-EndEUSM Lebanon Mission Will Train Border And Port Security ForcesCOP17 Biodiversity Summit Tests EU Pledge To Protect 30% Of NatureNorth Korea Sanctions Hit Russian Builder Samolet Over DPRK WorkersKingspan Fine Warns Firms Against Misleading Merger FilingsHow Operation Hermes Exposed A €410 Million VAT Carousel28th Regime Vote Slips As Co-Determination Splits MEPsMinisters Near Housing Exclusion Recommendation On HomelessnessDigital Networks Act Faces Copper Deadline Test From MinistersMalaysia-EU Trade Deal Talks Narrow To Palm Oil And Autos By 2027EU-Canada Associate Membership Idea Awaits Member State BackingEU-South Korea Digital Trade Agreement Needs Parliament ConsentEU-Syria Partnership Talks Tie Investment To Trust And Rule Of LawElectric And Hybrid Cars Lift EU Exports To €64.7 Billion In 2025Active Farmer Definition Splits Capitals Before CAP DealEquality And Competitiveness Conclusions Face An EPSCO Vote Next WeekCommission Seeks Feedback On Methane Reporting Templates For EnergyEU-India Trade Deal Heads Toward A Year-End SignatureMoldova EU Accession Talks Turn To Fundamentals BenchmarksSerbia Cluster 3 Opening Splits Capitals Over Rule Of Law TestsPhuket Round Pushes The EU-Thailand Trade Deal Toward Year-EndEUSM Lebanon Mission Will Train Border And Port Security ForcesCOP17 Biodiversity Summit Tests EU Pledge To Protect 30% Of NatureNorth Korea Sanctions Hit Russian Builder Samolet Over DPRK WorkersKingspan Fine Warns Firms Against Misleading Merger FilingsHow Operation Hermes Exposed A €410 Million VAT Carousel28th Regime Vote Slips As Co-Determination Splits MEPsMinisters Near Housing Exclusion Recommendation On HomelessnessDigital Networks Act Faces Copper Deadline Test From MinistersMalaysia-EU Trade Deal Talks Narrow To Palm Oil And Autos By 2027EU-Canada Associate Membership Idea Awaits Member State BackingEU-South Korea Digital Trade Agreement Needs Parliament ConsentEU-Syria Partnership Talks Tie Investment To Trust And Rule Of LawElectric And Hybrid Cars Lift EU Exports To €64.7 Billion In 2025Active Farmer Definition Splits Capitals Before CAP DealEquality And Competitiveness Conclusions Face An EPSCO Vote Next WeekCommission Seeks Feedback On Methane Reporting Templates For EnergyEU-India Trade Deal Heads Toward A Year-End SignatureMoldova EU Accession Talks Turn To Fundamentals Benchmarks

Schengen Visas For Russians Face A Tighter Visa Code

Movsar Evloev
Brussels Bureau Chief, Migration and Border Management

Schengen visas for Russians are heading for a tougher legal footing, with the European Commission reportedly preparing restrictions for its Visa Code revision in January. Politico reported on 11 October that the Commission intends to table targeted measures, following months of pressure from eleven Schengen states. The Commission itself confirmed in June that restrictive visa measures would form part of the Visa Code revision planned for the coming year, although it declined to give details.

The pressure began with a joint letter led by Sweden and signed by Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, together with non-EU Schengen members Norway and Iceland. Addressed to High Representative Kaja Kallas and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, the letter argues that uneven national implementation of the Commission’s 2022 guidelines has left room for visa commercialisation and security risks. It says that fragmentation weakens the bloc’s leverage and sends contradictory signals about its stance towards Russia.

Numbers frame the dispute over Schengen visas for Russians. Before the full-scale invasion, Schengen states issued about four million visas a year to Russians, and the Commission says the figure has fallen to roughly 500,000. The signatories counted 477,878 tourist visas in 2025, which they say made up 77 percent of all visas granted to Russians. France issued just under 180,000 visas, Italy just under 160,000 and Spain just under 100,000. Multiple-entry visas, which the signatories say contradict Commission guidance, were largely phased out when stricter rules took effect in November 2025.

The letter asks for binding rules on Schengen visas for Russians rather than guidelines. It calls for faster changes to the Visa Code, better monitoring of how governments apply the guidance, and cooperation with Europol on restricting access for active and former Russian combatants. It also asks national authorities to examine the role of private visa-processing firms, including a Dubai-based company with alleged Russian ownership links.

Not every capital backs tighter Schengen visas for Russians. Opponents of the Swedish initiative argue that visa totals mainly reflect the size of consular operations in larger countries, and that tourist travel does not undermine sanctions policy, since those responsible for the war are already listed. Because member states control visa issuance and Brussels only provides oversight, any new rules will need political support from governments that host many Russian visitors.

Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert has said that restricting visas for Russian citizens has been a top priority, and that officials are examining ways to limit Schengen access for fighters who took part in the war. The Visa Code revision is the legal vehicle where those ideas could become binding.

For travellers, border agencies and consular staff, the practical question is how far the January proposal goes. If it turns the 2022 guidelines into mandatory rules, Schengen visas for Russians would follow a single rulebook rather than twenty-nine national practices. The legislative fight over that rulebook will begin as soon as the proposal lands.

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