The European Union has announced stricter visa rules for Russian citizens to enhance security following hybrid attacks attributed to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
From Friday, Russian nationals will no longer be eligible for multiple-entry visas to the EU and will instead receive single-entry visas only.
The European Commission stated that the revised rules are intended to allow closer and repeated examination of visa applications to minimise potential security risks.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that unrestricted movement in Europe is "hard to justify" for a country that initiated war, adding that the bloc has a duty to protect its citizens amidst unprecedented drone attacks and sabotage.
The new measures aim to ensure consistent implementation across all 27 member states, which have unanimously approved the restrictions.
Exemptions will apply for journalists, human rights defenders, and other justified cases, according to the EU.
The EU had already tightened oversight on the travel of Russian diplomats stationed within member states.
Some EU countries, particularly those with critical stances toward Russia, have long pushed for limiting Russian citizens’ access to the bloc.
However, Ioulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, has criticised the restrictions, arguing that they bolster the Kremlin’s narrative that the West is hostile toward the Russian population.
In a letter to Kallas in September, Navalnaya wrote that isolating Russian society could backfire on efforts to promote peace in Europe.
In 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine, the EU suspended a visa facilitation agreement with Russia, leading to a significant drop in visas issued - from over four million prior to February 2022 to roughly 500,000 in 2023.
Nonetheless, European diplomats have noted that the number of visas issued to Russians began rising again last year, with popular tourist destinations such as France, Spain, and Italy issuing the highest numbers.
