EU Countries Grant Large Numbers of Tourist Visas to Russians Despite Sanctions

International

Eastern EU Members Warn of Security Risks Linked to Russian Tourism.

Major EU countries such as France, Italy, and Spain continue to issue significant numbers of tourist visas to Russian citizens, despite ongoing sanctions and mounting concerns from eastern EU members about potential security threats stemming from Russia’s war on Ukraine.

According to EUobserver, more than 552,000 Schengen visas were granted to Russian nationals in 2024—a 9% increase compared to 2023, as reported by Finland’s Iltalehti daily.

Italy issued over 152,000 visas, nearly 20,000 more than the previous year. In contrast, several eastern EU countries—Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Norway—have restricted or completely halted tourist visas for Russians, citing security concerns.

Though travelling to the EU remains expensive for many Russians—often requiring transit through hubs like Istanbul or Dubai due to limited direct flights—Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that Russian citizens made nearly 30 million outbound trips in 2024, a 15% increase over 2023. The most popular destinations included Türkiye, Egypt, the UAE, and Thailand.

Eastern EU countries, especially those bordering Russia, warn that tourism may be exploited for intelligence-gathering. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky stated that Russian security services have a history of using the uncontrolled movement of people—such as tourists—as part of their hybrid warfare strategy.

Nevertheless, France has defended its visa policy, emphasizing the value of people-to-people exchange. “We try to separate the Russian government from the Russian people and civil society,” said a spokesperson from the French Foreign Ministry.

British defense analyst Emily Ferris echoed this sentiment, arguing that it would be unfair to punish ordinary Russians for decisions made by their leaders.