According to the official, the proposed "targeted restrictive measures" will be presented next year as part of a revision of the EU Visa Code and therefore will not affect the current summer travel season.
The move follows an official letter sent by Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland.
The signatories criticized what they described as a fragmented and inconsistent approach within the bloc, arguing that turning a blind eye to the continued flow of Russian travelers undermines public trust and European solidarity.
The main criticism from the 11-country coalition was directed at France, Italy and Spain. According to official statistics, France issued the highest number of visas to Russian citizens in 2025, approving nearly 180,000 applications, a significant increase compared with 2024. Italy ranked second with just under 160,000 visas issued, while Spain was third with nearly 100,000.
The coalition described it as deeply troubling that Russian tourists continue to vacation at European resorts while Russian missiles and drones strike civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine on a daily basis.
At the same time, the European Commission noted that the total number of Schengen visas issued to Russian citizens has fallen sharply since before 2022, dropping from about 4 million to roughly 500,000 in 2025.
Tighter visa rules for Russian citizens
In November 2025, Politico, citing sources, reported that the European Union was considering significantly tightening visa rules for Russian citizens by effectively ending the routine issuance of multiple-entry Schengen visas, making such documents a rare exception.
In addition, in March, eight EU member states — including the Baltic countries, Poland, Germany, Finland, Romania and Sweden — formally called on EU leaders to impose a complete entry ban into the Schengen Area for current and former Russian military personnel who had participated in combat operations.