Eleven European countries are calling on the European Commission to tighten entry rules for Russian citizens, arguing that tourism to Europe should be further restricted while Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
In a letter seen by AFP, nine EU member states: Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Poland joined Norway and Iceland in urging Brussels to introduce "new restrictive and binding measures" to curb the number of Russian tourists entering Europe.
"It is deeply troubling to see a growing number of Russian tourists enjoying leisure travel on European beaches and in holiday resorts," the signatories wrote.
According to the letter, nearly 478,000 visas were issued to Russian citizens last year, most of them allowing multiple entries into the Schengen area.
The countries argue that continued access to Europe's border-free zone raises security concerns, particularly given the possibility that active or former Russian military personnel could travel freely within the bloc.
They are calling on the Commission to develop mechanisms to better identify Russian soldiers and veterans and prevent them from entering the EU.
The appeal comes as Russia intensifies attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine and follows a series of measures already introduced by Brussels since the start of the war.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Moscow. In November 2025, the Commission also banned the issuance of multiple-entry visas to Russian nationals in response to what it described as repeated hybrid attacks linked to Russia.
According to the Commission, the number of visas issued to Russian citizens has fallen sharply, from more than four million before February 2022 to around 500,000 in 2023.
Not all EU countries support further restrictions. Major tourist destinations such as France, Spain and Italy, which issue large numbers of visas to Russian citizens, have not backed the proposal.
Countries that disagree argue that hundreds of Russians are already subject to sanctions and travel bans, and that ordinary citizens should not be penalised for the actions of the Kremlin.
Among the critics is Yulia Navalnaya, who is a Russian political activist and economist and widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, she has been described in media as the "first lady" of the Russian opposition
Navalnaya warned last year that additional restrictions might strengthen Kremlin narratives portraying the West as hostile to ordinary Russians.
"In the interest of promoting peace in Europe, it is counterproductive to help the Russian authorities isolate Russian society," she wrote in a letter to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
