- Finland’s Elina Valtonen urged the European Commission to pursue an EU-wide ban on Russian non-essential travel visas.
- Her proposal also targets Putin’s inner circle, sanctioned people, athletes, and Russian nationals who fought in Ukraine.
- About 478,000 tourist visas went to Russian citizens in 2025; broader Commission proposals may come in January 2027.
Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has asked the European Commission to stop issuing Russian citizens Schengen visas for tourism and other non-essential travel until Russia ends its war against Ukraine. Her proposal seeks an EU-wide ban.
She made the request in a letter dated October 12, 2026, urging other EU governments to support the restrictions. Finland already limits non-essential visas for Russians nationally, a policy it has maintained since 2022.
Free toolDS-160 Form Filling Online Helper Tool
The Finnish government stated its position plainly. “Russian citizens should not be granted tourist visas as long as Russia continues its war of aggression.”
The proposal is not EU policy. Member states still make individual visa decisions under common Schengen rules, and France, Spain and Italy have opposed a blanket prohibition on Russian tourist visas.
The proposal would widen restrictions beyond tourism
Valtonen’s package also calls for binding visa bans on people in Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and others covered by EU sanctions. It would add visa restrictions for Russian athletes.
The letter also seeks stronger enforcement of existing visa sanctions against Russian nationals who fought in Ukraine. Those measures sit alongside a proposed change to the EU Visa Code.
That amendment would give the bloc a stronger basis to impose visa restrictions quickly and consistently when relations with a third country deteriorate sharply. It is a proposed change, not a rule now in force.
Security concerns sit alongside the tourism proposal
EU officials are weighing tighter controls amid concerns that Russian visitors could facilitate espionage, sabotage or other hybrid operations. The visa figures show the scale of travel: about 478,000 Schengen tourist visas went to Russian citizens in 2025, many allowing multiple entries.
Estonia has put forward a separate measure targeting former Russian military personnel who fought in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has estimated it could affect approximately 650,000 former combatants.
The Estonian proposal is distinct from Finland’s request to restrict tourism and other non-essential travel. Both address visa access, but they target different groups.
Brussels may take up broader measures in January
The European Commission is reportedly preparing wider visa-restriction proposals for January 2027. Their legal form, scope and implementation date remain unsettled.
Upcoming EU discussions are expected to provide the immediate political test for Finland’s appeal. A Commission initiative in January 2027 would start the formal process for potential bloc-wide changes, but adoption would still require agreement through the applicable EU legal and political procedures.
