Schengen Area countries issued 630,605 short-stay visas to Russian citizens in 2025. This represents a 14.1% increase compared with the previous year and the second consecutive annual rise.
Russian citizens submitted a total of 679,425 Schengen visa applications. The refusal rate was 6.38%, while the average rate for all applicants in the Schengen Area was 14.6%. Thus, Russians were refused visas approximately half as often as the average applicant.
The number of visas issued has now exceeded the 2021 level, described as “pre-war.” However, the figures remain far below those recorded before the pandemic and the full-scale war against Ukraine. In 2019, 4.055 million Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens.
Italy and France lead the way
Italy issued the most visas to Russians in 2025 – 163,908, or 26% of the total. France followed with 156,814 visas, representing 24.9%.
Spain issued 124,073 visas, while Greece issued 59,054. These four countries accounted for nearly 80% of all permits for short-term entry into the Schengen Area.
Finland was at the opposite end of the spectrum. In 2025, only 4,148 applications were submitted there by Russian citizens, compared with 786,425 in 2019. A significant decline was also recorded at the consulates of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The total volume of applications to the four countries fell by 99.1% compared with 2019.
Visas are still being issued, but under stricter rules
The European Union has not introduced a blanket ban on issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens. In 2022, the EU-Russia agreement facilitating the visa regime was suspended, consular fees were increased, and checks were tightened.
In November 2025, the European Commission also introduced restrictions on the issuance of multiple-entry visas. “Russian citizens will no longer receive multiple-entry visas,” European Commissioner Markus Brunner said at the time. The rule applies to new applications and provides for limited exceptions, including certain family, professional and humanitarian cases.
Thus, the statistics show both a recovery in travel by Russian citizens to some Schengen countries and a lasting reshaping of travel routes. Southern European countries are handling the bulk of applications, while countries bordering Russia or located close to it are reporting the almost complete disappearance of the previous tourist flow.
Sources: news.bg, unian.net