Germany tightened the criteria for issuing visas to Russians

Berlin has changed the rules for obtaining visas for Russian citizens.

As reported by RTVI at the German Embassy in Moscow, the new measures apply to both Schengen and national documents.

The embassy noted that the reason for the tightening was the “increased security risks for the EU” that arose after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, Russian applicants without valid reasons for travel must be prepared for longer and more thorough application review procedures.

According to the diplomatic mission, in 2024, Germany issued about 17,000 Schengen visas to Russian citizens out of 541.8 thousand short-term entry permits, which is 90% less than in 2019.