Media: The EU is discussing tightening the visa regime for Russians

Brief retelling from RIA II

The European Union is discussing tightening visa restrictions for Russian tourists and new restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats.

Issues of tightening the visa regime are planned to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.

France and Italy have previously resisted tightening the visa regime for Russian tourists, but Paris may be ready to change its position.

BRUSSELS, Oct 12 - RIA Novosti. The European Union is discussing further tightening of visa restrictions for Russian tourists, as well as new restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats, despite ongoing differences between EU states and concerns about the collective application of bans to Russian citizens, European media reported, citing diplomatic sources.

According to Politico, relevant issues are planned to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.

In particular, three categories of Russian citizens are considered: tourists, former combatants and diplomats.

At the same time, as the publication’s interlocutors note, France and Italy previously resisted tightening the visa regime for Russian tourists, since they host a significant number of Russian citizens. However, according to current assessments from diplomatic sources, Paris appears to be ready to adjust its position.

According to Politico, two options for additional restrictions are being discussed regarding Russian diplomats: a ban on movement outside the country of accreditation or the obligation to first obtain permission from both the host state and the destination state.

At the same time, a number of European diplomats acknowledge the legal difficulties in determining who exactly should be classified as former combatants, as well as the political risks of blanket application of restrictions to citizens of the entire country without taking into account individual circumstances.

After objections from Paris and Rome, the original proposal was significantly narrowed.

In July, the EU Council approved the legal basis for the EU travel ban on former combatants, but delayed its implementation until further executive decisions were taken.

According to Euronews, in 2025, Russian citizens were issued more than 620 thousand Schengen visas, about 10% more than a year earlier. France, Italy and Spain processed the largest number of applications.

At the same time, restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats between EU countries have been partially in effect since January 2026: they provide for prior notification of destination states about travel, as well as the possibility of individual countries introducing a permitting procedure.

The current discussion is taking place against the backdrop of the European Union preparing further sanctions measures against Russia.