Last Friday, the European Union (EU) took the decision to suspend its visa facilitation agreement with Russia, making it more difficult for Russians to travel to Europe.
“The visa facilitation agreement with the Russian Federation has been suspended. This means that Russian citizens will receive a Schengen visa under the general conditions of the EU Visa Code,” ATOR wrote on its website on Tuesday.
ATOR describes itself as the largest association of travel agents in Russia.
According to tour operators, the list of EU countries that have issued and continue to accept tourist visa documents includes Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Hungary and Cyprus. In particular, the visas granted are national visas — not Schengen, which allows a tourist access to other European countries.
“Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands no longer accept documents from tourists,” it claimed.
In response, the European Commission referred CNN to its visa guidelines, which were posted online last Friday. The guidelines outlined how short-stay visa applications submitted by Russian citizens should now be processed.
European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said last Friday that “being a tourist in the EU is not a fundamental right”.
“Member states are advised to thoroughly and heavily vet visa applications from Russian citizens. Visas should be refused when consulates identify security risks,” he continued.
“The EU will remain open to those who need protection, such as journalists, dissidents, human rights activists and people traveling for family reasons,” Johansson said.
According to the guidelines, consulates are able to “adjust their procedures” and are allowed to “use 45 days” to decide on Russian tourist visa applications, as opposed to “15 days in normal cases”.
“Member States should refrain from issuing long-term multiple-entry visas, as Russian citizens may not qualify to enter the EU in the long term, given the economic instability, restrictive measures and political developments in Russia” , the new guidelines. Addition.
In early September, the Czech Republic and Latvia already started taking measures to limit Russian travel, while Estonia banned Russians who already had visas from entering the country.
CNN reached out to the foreign ministries of the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark and Belgium, and they have not yet responded to requests for comment.
