The European Commission recommended that EU countries review the decisions regarding visas already issued to Russians. EC member for internal affairs Ylva Johansson estimated their number as ‘less than a million’.
In her opinion, now that the agreement on the simplified visa regime with Russia has been canceled, EU countries need to decide whether already issued Schengen visas should remain valid.
This is not just an opportunity for member countries, it is a recommendation.
Johansson added that the EC will soon publish guidance on how to act under the new conditions regarding the Russians. According to her, it will be easier to get a visa for journalists, dissidents, as well as those who go to the EU for humanitarian and family reasons. If a person decided to visit Europe ‘for non-essential reasons’, including for tourist purposes, the approach to it will be stricter.
Earlier, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that currently the presence of a Schengen visa for Russians does not guarantee them entry to EU countries.
“Ministers agreed that states will use national capabilities to control the flow of people crossing borders. The fact of having a visa does not mean the right to enter the country. Of course, this is a necessary condition, but even if a visa is issued, it may happen that you will be refused,” – he said.
The EU’s decision to cancel the visa facilitation agreement with Russia entered into force on September 9. It was adopted because of the ongoing war in Ukraine and will come into effect on September 12. Now the European visa will cost 80 euros, additional documents will be required for the application, and the time for processing the request will increase to at least 15 days. The rules for issuing multiple-entry visas will also be strengthened.
The day before, it was reported that Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will introduce a ban on entry for Russians with Schengen visas from September 19, regardless of which EU country issued these documents. Finland, which also borders the Russian Federation, did not join this decision, as it was not unanimously approved by EU members. However, the country has significantly reduced the number of visas issued to Russians.
