European Union/Russia: European Commission Publishes Guidelines for Issuing and Examining Schengen Visa Applications by Russian Citizens

As an update to the suspension of the Visa Facilitation Agreement between the European Union and Russia, the European Commission (EC) has published guidelines on how EU Member States and their consulates should analyse short-stay Schengen visa applications submitted by Russian citizens. Among the guidelines, the EC states that consular posts can revoke valid Schengen visas if the Russian citizen is deemed to no longer meet the conditions for approval, and Russian citizens deemed a threat to public security can be denied entry at the border despite possession of a valid Schengen visa. Thus, the mere possession of a valid Schengen visa does not confer an automatic right of entry. Additionally, for reasons of public policy, internal security or international relations, an EU Member State may also object to the issuance of a visa valid for the entire Schengen area, limiting its validity to the territory of the issuing Member State. The EC also recommends that applications for essential travel for business reasons or family visitation should take precedence over tourism, and that only the consulate of the relevant EU Member State in whose jurisdiction the applicant legally resides should examine the application. The EC’s guidelines remain recommendations, meant to assist Member States in dealing with all applications lodged by Russian citizens. Member States and their consulates are expected to provide information on their individual implementation of these guidelines.