Euractiv: In 2025, the EU issued 10% more Schengen visas to Russians than the year before

European countries issued 10.2% more Schengen visas to Russians in 2025 than in 2024. France is in the lead.

This was reported by the Euractiv portal with reference to internal documents.

Of the 670 000 applications submitted by Russian citizens for Schengen visas, European countries approved more than 620 000. Of these, 477 000 were tourist visas. Russians also submitted applications for the following categories: visits to family and friends, and business trips.

Russian citizens chose France, Italy, and Spain the most, accounting for almost 75% of all applications. In addition, in Paris, the number of visas issued to Russians increased by 23% in 2025 compared to 2024.

In 2025, a report containing these data, which was circulated within the EU, led to tensions between European capitals. Some countries strongly opposed the inclusion of such data in an internal report. France, in particular, was particularly unhappy.

The conflict escalated earlier this year when diplomats noticed that data on Russian visas had completely disappeared from the latest report. After eight EU member states raised the issue, the data was reinstated in May, published in a separate technical document.

• The European Union has banned issuing multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russians since November 2025. Since then, Russian citizens have had to reapply for a visa for each new trip to EU countries.

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