BRUSSELS: The European Commission does not have the authority to impose a general ban on issuing visas to Russian citizens, Spokesman Marku...
BRUSSELS: The European Commission does not have the authority to impose a general ban on issuing visas to Russian citizens, Spokesman Markus Lammert said at a briefing in Brussels.
According to him, the issuance of visas and decisions on their issuance are the prerogative of EU member states. The spokesman pointed out that, when necessary, the European Commission can take a tougher or more favorable position on the issuance of multiple-entry visas by individual countries, but it cannot dictate to the member states.
Lammert confirmed that the European Commission "is looking into additional measures" to restrict the issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens and is doing so "in close coordination with member states."
He recalled that, in 2022, the European Commission froze the visa facilitation agreement with Russia and recommended that EU countries reduce the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians.
According to the spokesman, EU countries issued more than four million visas to Russians in 2019. In 2023, that number fell to 500,000. He did not mention how these statistics changed in 2024 and 2025.
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