The German government has proposed tightening the issuance of visas for Russian citizens to travel to the Schengen area as part of the European Union’s new package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, APA reports, citing the DPA agency.
The agency states that the document prepared by Berlin includes a call for the full implementation of the recommendations published by the European Commission in 2022. Those recommendations envisage significantly restricting the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens.
“According to European Union statistics, approximately 542,000 short-term Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens in 2024. This is 20% more compared to 2023, but significantly lower than the figures for 2019,” DPA notes.
The number of Schengen visas issued by Germany in 2024 amounted to 27,300. In addition, approximately 11,300 national visas were issued. These visas are required for long-term stays in the country – for example, for education or employment purposes.
The German Foreign Ministry stated that since the launch of Russia’s “special operation” against Ukraine, the criteria for issuing both national and Schengen visas have already been tightened.
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