European Union/Russia: Short-stay Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia to be Suspended

The suspension will have the following impacts on short-term travel to the Schengen zone for Russian citizens:

• Short-stay visa application fees will increase to EUR 80 from EUR 35;
• More documentation will be required in the visa application process;
• The standard deadline for consulates to make a decision on visa applications will increase from 10 to 15 days. This period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 days in individual cases, when further scrutiny of the application is needed;
• Appointment availabilities will be more limited;
• More restrictive rules will apply for multiple-entry visa applications (meaning that Russian citizens will have to obtain one prior to each travel); and
• Very limited approvals for visas for touristic purposes are expected to be issued. Approvals for business travel may also be impacted.

Short-term travel to the Schengen area for Russian citizens will be more complicated, more expensive, more burdensome, and slower to secure. Affected travelers and their employers should consult their immigration professional well in advance of their desired travel date.

The visa facilitation agreement between the European Union and Russia was partially suspended in March 2022 for certain categories (Russian diplomats, other Russian officials and Russian businesspeople).  This suspension has now been extended to all Russian citizens.

This full suspension of the visa facilitation agreement is adopted as a response to the war in Ukraine and is aimed at preserving the public order in the European Union. The decision to suspend the agreement follows pressure for several EU Member States to limit travel opportunities as a region, whereas previously EU Member States imposed restrictions on a national level (both for short-term and long-term stays), which Fragomen has followed closely here.

The European Commission will publish additional guidelines to ensure travel for certain persons (journalists, dissidents and civil society representatives) is preserved.

The suspension of the visa facilitation agreement by the European Union does not fully restrict short-term travel to the Schengen zone by Russian citizens. As such, Fragomen anticipates that further travel restrictions on Russian citizens will be adopted both at national level and between groups of countries.