How will the ban on multiple-entry Schengen visas affect travel to the EU?

On Friday, November 7, the European Commission (EC) announced its decision to restrict the issuance of multiple-entry Schengen visas to European Union countries to Russian citizens. The ban will take effect on November 8, Commission spokesman Markus Lammert announced at a briefing.

The official emphasized that this isn't a complete ban on visas, but only on multiple-entry permits. "This means that single-entry visas can still be obtained. There will be stricter controls. But I won't speculate on future decisions," Lammert added. The decision only applies to the issuance of new documents, he emphasized.

Multiple-entry visas for visiting Schengen countries have been issued to Russian citizens since 2009, as stipulated by a European Union regulation. it was valid in all EU member states and associated states of the Schengen Area (including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland ).

In late October, the European Union refrained from tightening Schengen visa requirements for Russians under the 19th sanctions package, limiting itself to banning European businesses from providing any services related to tourism to RUSSIA. However, Politico warned of an impending tightening of visa regulations for Russians in early November: citing three European officials, it reported that Russians might no longer be issued multiple-entry Schengen visas, with the exception of humanitarian cases.

The European Union's recent decision to transition to single-entry or individually reviewed visas represents a significant tightening of visa policy, notes Mikhail Yermilov, Managing Partner at Strategy Partners. RBC reports on how this will impact Russian travel to Europe.

In a statement released Friday, the European Commission justified its decision on multiple-entry visas by citing the increased "migration and security risks" associated with Russian visa applicants. This includes the use of migration for military purposes, sabotage, and potential visa misuse, Lammert explained at a briefing. Under the new rules, such applicants must undergo "thorough and frequent checks before issuing." This decision was based on a "joint assessment by Member States" and followed the approval of all Member States at the Visa Committee level, the EC spokesperson added.

Lammert also recalled that the European Commission had already taken measures in 2022 to reduce travel from Russia: it suspended the visa facilitation agreement and adopted a "clear set of recommendations" to help EU member states deprioritize visas to Russians. These actions, according to the EC spokesperson, led to a significant reduction in the number of Schengen visas issued to Russians: while in 2019 there were more than 4 million, in 2023 it will be around 500,000.

In September 2022, the EU suspended the simplified visa regime with Russia. At the same time, the visa fee increased from €35 to €80, and the visa application processing time increased from 10 to 15 days (this can be extended to a maximum of 45 days in certain cases). In 2024 , Brussels further increased the Schengen visa issuance fee, bringing it to €90 for Russians.

The European Commission also recommended that EU countries not issue long-term multiple-entry visas to Russians and consider tourist visas as a non-priority option. Several Schengen countries have suspended the issuance of tourist visas to applicants from Russia. These include Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland , and Slovakia.Finland , the Czech Republic, and Estonia. The Baltic countries have also banned entry to Russian citizens with Schengen visas from other countries. The remaining 17 Schengen countries are still accepting tourist visa applications from Russians. These include Austria, Germany , Hungary, Croatia, Italy , Spain, France , Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, and Slovenia. Romania and Bulgaria also joined the Schengen area on April 1, 2024.

Travel to EU countries has been complicated by the "closed skies" regime for Russian airlines and the de facto ban on border crossings by ground transport.

In practice, the European Commission's decision means that most consulates of Schengen member countries will no longer issue multiple-entry long-term visas to Russians, requiring them to obtain a new single-entry visa each time they plan a trip, says Elena Balashova, senior partner at the international consulting firm Stream. The ban will apply to all Russian citizens wishing to travel to these countries, including tourists, property owners, and business and private travelers.

The European Commission's new visa restriction decree applies to all Schengen countries, notes Ilya Pasenko, senior lawyer at the law firm atLegal. The only country exempt from its application is Ireland, which only partially participates in the EU's general visa regulation, the lawyer adds. However, Balashova points out that the recommendation to restrict long-term visas for Russians does not automatically apply to Switzerland; a separate decision will be required. "Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein are Schengen members, but they make their own decisions," Balashova notes. Cyprus is an EU member but not a full member of the Schengen Agreement, so its position will require separate review under national legislation, the expert adds.

The decision only applies to applications submitted after it comes into force, notes Zonova of IPN Partners. Multiple-entry visas issued before the decision comes into force will remain valid until their expiration date. Previously issued multiple-entry visas will remain valid, and their validity will not be affected in any way, Pasenko agrees.

Furthermore, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) notes that the new rules will only apply to applications submitted directly within Russia. Pasenko also notes that the restrictions do not apply to applicants from Russia who will obtain a Schengen visa outside the country: in such cases, the European Commission requires applications to be accepted and processed according to the general rules if they are submitted within the territorial limits of consular offices. However, ATOR warns that any attempts to circumvent these restrictions by submitting applications in third countries will be prohibited by the European Commission. The restrictions, however, will not apply to citizens of other countries planning to obtain a multiple-entry visa from Russia.

According to the EC's position, multiple-entry visas should be issued only to clearly defined groups of applicants from Russia with a "low-risk profile." The document lists two main categories of such applicants:

• close relatives of citizens of the European Union or citizens of Russia permanently residing in EU countries - spouses (including those in a registered partnership), children under 21 years of age and parents - they can be issued a multiple-entry visaa one-year visa if they have previously received and correctly used three visas during the previous two years;

• Transport workers (sailors, truck and bus drivers, members of railway crews), if their travel is related to the performance of their professional duties, may be issued a multiple-entry visa for nine months, provided that they have previously received and correctly used two visas during the previous two years.

In exceptional, justified cases, EU member states may also issue multiple-entry Schengen visas to individuals whose "transparency of intentions is beyond doubt," Lammert stated at a briefing. These include dissidents, independent journalists, human rights activists, and representatives of civil society organizations, as well as their close relatives, according to the EC decision. In justified cases, they may receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years, says Pasenko of atLegal.

The new restrictions will not significantly impact tourist flow to popular Russian tourist destinations, according to tourism market participants and experts interviewed by RBC. According to the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI), multiple-entry visas are currently being issued to a minimal number of travelers from Russia to Europe, and these are mostly business tourists.

Overall, according to ATOR, 800,000 Russians visited Europe by land for various purposes in 2024. Another 600,000 Russian travelers used connecting flights. This brings the total to 1.4 million trips. By comparison, in 2019, Russians made ten times more trips to the EU—14.37 million.

The abolition of multiple-entry visas for Russians will not reduce tourist flow to the EU, as 95% already receive single-entry visas, says Artur Muradyan, Vice President of International Tourism at ATOR and CEO of tour operator Space Travel. Schengen multiple-entry visas are already rarely issued to Russian travelers, so the decision to abolish them will not affect tourist flow, agrees Georgy Mokhov, HEAD of the Legal Affairs Committee at the Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI).

ATOR Vice President Sergey Romashkin admits that a 10-15% decline in tourists who frequently visit Europe will still occur. Furthermore, the abolition of multiple-entry visas could also lead to other complications for tourists, such as longer waiting times, Muradyan adds. This could be influenced by the workload of visa centers and the increased number of applications processed by consulates due to the issuance of single-entry visas, explains Lilia Feoktistova, CEO of Da-Tours. This scenario is also possible for the consulates of Italy, Spain, and France, which have been the most accommodating to Russian travelers and issued multiple-entry visas more frequently than others, she notes. This summer, according to ATOR, the average processing time for Schengen visa applications ranged from 20 days to almost two months.

Despite recent difficulties obtaining Schengen visas, independent travelers still show interest in trips to cities in France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Hungary, and Portugal, according to Alexander Bragin, DIRECTOR of the Association of Travel Aggregators. The abolition of multiple-entry visas will be most noticeable for businesspeople and those who travel to Europe several times a year; for everyone else, the situation will remain unchanged, says Muradyan. Those planning annual trips will simply use single-entry visas, concluded Romashkin.

Since 2022, when the EU-Russia visa facilitation agreement was suspended, applicants have faced a longer and more expensive visa application process, with visas often issued as single-entry visas for the duration of a trip, Pasenko points out. "Therefore, most tourists from Russia will not notice the impact of the new restrictions," he believes.

Multiple-entry visas previously facilitated frequent short trips—short business trips, visits to family and friends, Balashova notes. Restricting multiple-entry visas is expected to lead to a 30-60% decline in the number of Russians frequently traveling to the EU, she predicts. The cost of travel, according to Balashova, will increase due to numerous consular fees, as each trip will now require a new application. Visa refusals are also expected to increase, along with increased document requirements—booking confirmations, insurance, and financial support. A more thorough screening of applicants, in turn, will lead to longer processing times, Balashova warns.

The new rules call for "increased attention" to the screening of Schengen visa applicants from Russia, IPN Partners' Zonova points out. A more thorough and lengthy screening process is expected when reviewing new applications.

The EC decree does not contain specific instructions regarding more thorough checks or tightened controls when issuing visas, so the governments of each Schengen country can decide for themselves whether to tighten their procedures, Pasenko believes.

The European Commission may recommend that EU governments stop issuing multiple-entry visas to Russians and exert pressure on them through all available formal and informal means. However, the European Commission cannot compel them; it lacks such authority, according to Alexander Terentyev, a forensic expert with the Veta expert group. "Schengen countries may take note of the EC's position, but the decision to stop or continue issuing multiple-entry visas to a particular category of applicants is part of their migration policy, regulated by national legislation," the expert believes. He believes that some countries may simply ignore the EC's position for their own political, economic, or demographic interests, but countries that support the EC's position may not recognize such visas at their borders.

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