Against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, the European Union (EU) has officially confirmed the adoption of stricter visa rules for Russian nationals. This decision of November 6, 2025, announced in a press release the following daycomes at a time when security concerns and warnings of a new era of confrontation are reaching a critical level.
The assessment carried out as part of local Schengen cooperation in the Russian Federation concluded that the Russia's "unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine". has fundamentally altered the risks associated with Russian visa applicants.
Risk: espionage, propaganda and subversion
The European Commission has detailed a series of threats justifying this regulatory tightening. These include the use of migration as a weapon by Russia, theacts of sabotage on the territory of Member States and in the international waters of the Baltic Sea, as well as threats ofcyber and industrial espionage. In addition, the EU fears that visas will be misused for the propaganda promotion supporting Russia's war of aggression against the Ukraine, or for involvement in the other subversive activities to the detriment of the Union.
In view of this high risk profile, the EU has determined that Russian visa applicants should be subject to a thorough and frequent examination before a visa can be issued. Consequently, rules "considerably more restrictive" than those laid down in the usual Visa Code (Regulation 810/2009) are to apply, allowing member states to mitigate threats to public order or internal security.
Multiple-Entry Visa (MIV) restrictions
The new rules apply to short-stay visa applications submitted by Russian nationals residing in the Russian Federation to Member State consulates located in that territory. To ensure the effectiveness of the measure and avoid circumvention, strict application of the provisions on consular territorial jurisdiction is required.
As an exception to the standard rules, Multiple-Entry Visas (MIVs) will henceforth be issued only to specific groups of individuals with a reduced risk profile. The evaluation carried out by the Schengen cooperation clearly identified these groups:
- Close Family Members : These are spouses (including registered partnerships), children under 21 (including those of the spouse and adopted children), and parents of Russian citizens legally resident in member states or Union citizens. For this category, the validity of the MEC is limited to one yearprovided that the applicant has legally obtained and used 3 visas in the previous 2 years.
- Transport Workers: This includes sailors, truck and bus drivers, and train crews who apply for a visa in the exercise of their professional duties. For them, the validity is set at 9 monthsprovided they have legally obtained and used 2 visas in the previous 2 years.
⚠️ These adapted rules do not apply to nationals of other visa-required countries residing in Russia, unless they also have Russian citizenship, as they do not present the same high-risk profile.
| Although the decision is very restrictive, it does allow for flexibility in duly justified individual cases. Member States retain the option of issuing MECs valid for up to 5 years for certain particularly vulnerable categories. This could be appropriate, in particular, for the benefit of dissidents, independent journalists, human rights activists, representatives of civil society organizationsand their families. |
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