Overview
- Russian nationals will generally receive single-entry visas and must file a new application for each trip to the EU.
- The European Commission linked the shift to recent sabotage incidents and the instrumentalization of migration associated with hybrid threats.
- Limited exceptions remain for dissidents, independent journalists and human-rights activists, while already issued multiple-entry visas stay valid.
- Implementation rests with member states, and the Commission emphasized tighter checks rather than an outright travel ban.
- Politico reported a roughly 10% rise in Russian entries in 2024, driven by more generous visa practices in countries including Hungary, France, Spain and Italy.