Overview
- The European Commission said Russian travelers must now apply for a new visa for each trip to the EU to enable closer, more frequent security checks.
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas framed the move as a security and moral stance, writing that traveling to the EU is a privilege, not a right.
- Exemptions include multiple-entry visas of up to one year for close family of EU citizens or residents and up to nine months for transport workers.
- Member states may grant exceptional multiple-entry visas to individuals deemed highly reliable, such as dissidents, independent journalists and human rights defenders.
- The Kremlin condemned the decision, while Russia’s tourism industry predicted limited practical impact, noting few Russians currently receive multiple-entry visas.