EU makes major visa change for Russians as WW3 fears explode

The European Commission has major plans to introduce tougher visa rules for Russian nationals amid growing security concerns linked to the war in Ukraine, suspected sabotage operations and fears Moscow is exploiting migration routes to destabilise the bloc. Brussels said the move was a "necessary step" to protect the EU and its citizens as tensions with Russia continue to rise.

"Russia's illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine continues to pose a serious threat to European security, with heightened risks related to sabotage, disinformation and drone incursions in the Union," said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. Under the new rules, Russians will no longer be granted multi-entry visas. Instead, they will have to apply for a new visa each time they wish to travel to the EU - a change designed to allow for more frequent and thorough security checks.

"We have a duty to protect our citizens," added Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. "Travelling to and freely moving within the EU is a privilege, not a given."

The move is designed to curb threats to public order and internal security while keeping limited exceptions for independent journalists and human rights defenders, according to European Pravda. The European Commission stated that the new rules will be applied consistently across all 27 member states to prevent loopholes or attempts to bypass the restrictions.

The decision, which comes after a joint assessment by EU countries within the Schengen cooperation framework, still requires formal backing from all member states through the Visa Committee. Reports suggest Brussels hopes to have the stricter visa rules for Russian citizens in place by the end of the week.

The EU has already tightened visa access for Russian citizens after suspending its visa facilitation agreement with Moscow in late 2022, following thefull-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Some member states have gone even further, with Poland and the Baltic nations imposing outright bans or sweeping restrictions on Russian travellers. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have closed their borders to most Russian nationals holding short-term Schengen visas for tourism, cultural events, sports or family visits - regardless of which EU country issued the visa.

In the UK, Russian citizens are required to obtain a visa to travel to the UK, regardless of the duration of their stay. While no limit has been put on the number of Russian nationals who can enter, they are subject to additional security checks and significant processing delays.

They must apply for a Standard Visitor Visa and meet specific entry requirements, including being able to financially support themselves for the duration of the stay, intending to leave the UK without overstaying and not intending to undertake any prohibited activities.