The European Commission has formally denied reports that it is preparing a complete prohibition on tourist visas for Russian citizens. A spokesperson stated on 30 June that the institution is instead working on “targeted measures” to adapt the visa regime to security threats, specifically those posed by individuals who took part in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The measures are proposed within the 21st sanctions package and would, if adopted, add former combatants to the list of persons subject to an EU entry ban. The Commission did not explain how it intends to identify such individuals, a point that officials in Paris and Rome have already flagged as operationally difficult.

Viewed from Brussels, the clarification is an effort to manage expectations after a report in the Russian daily Izvestia, citing an unnamed European source, claimed that a full tourist visa ban was under discussion. The Commission’s denial was echoed by its official spokesman, Markus Lammert, who stressed that the EU lacks the legal competence to impose a blanket ban, as visa policy remains a national prerogative. The European Parliament’s German CDU/CSU faction had earlier called for such a prohibition, and MEP Fernand Kartheiser told Izvestia that the objective of the visa restrictions under consideration was to “destabilise Russian society” ahead of State Duma elections.

The practical implications of the targeted approach are already visible in the patchwork of national policies. Since 2022, the EU has suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia, raised the fee from €35 to €80, and, in 2025, effectively ended the issuance of multi-entry Schengen visas for most Russian applicants. The number of visas issued to Russians collapsed from 4 million in 2019 to roughly 500,000–550,000 in 2024. Yet several southern member states—notably Italy, France, and Spain—continue to process tourist visas in significant volumes, citing the importance of Russian tourism for their economies. This has drawn sharp criticism from Baltic and central European capitals, with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia having unilaterally stopped issuing tourist visas to Russians as early as 2022.

Moscow’s foreign ministry has said it will not respond in a mirror fashion but will take retaliatory steps based on national interests, without punishing EU citizens for their nationality. Russian tourism industry figures assess that an immediate, EU-wide total ban is unlikely, given the need for consensus among all Schengen states and the economic interests at stake. The European Commission intends to present a broader initiative to tighten visa rules for Russians in 2027, while the immediate targeted restrictions will be negotiated as part of the 21st sanctions package, which requires unanimous approval by member states.