11 nations target 478,000 Russian tourist visas

On the beaches of the French Riviera and the Spanish coast, Russian tourists sunbathe while missiles strike Ukrainian cities. Eleven EU countries have had enough. On June 3, they sent a joint letter to the European Commission demanding binding restrictions on Schengen visas for Russian citizens, exposing a glaring loophole in EU sanctions that Brussels cannot easily close.

The Numbers Behind the Fury

Schengen-area countries issued 477,878 tourist visas to Russian citizens in 2025, up nearly 40% from 2023, the first full year of war (EUobserver, GP). Three countries account for roughly 75% of those visas: France issued around 156,500, Italy 161,000, and Spain 123,000 (Euronews, Quotidiano.net).

The letter, signed by Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Norway, called it "deeply disturbing" that Russian tourists enjoy European holidays while "missiles and drones continue to hit civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine" (Euractiv). Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell put it bluntly: Russians "who support Russia's full-scale invasion should not be able to come to Europe and rest on beaches or sit drinking red wine at cozy outdoor cafés" (GP).

A System Built to Fragment

The problem is structural. Each EU country decides who gets a visa at its own consulates. But once a Russian tourist holds a valid French Schengen visa, they can legally travel across 29 countries. Estonia banned Russian entry in August 2022 under national border law (Riigi Teataja) and refuses Russians at its border regardless of which country issued the visa. Poland has done similarly. These are unilateral workarounds, not EU-level solutions.

The only existing collective tool, Article 25a of the Visa Code, allows the Council (where member-state governments vote on EU legislation) to suspend visa benefits for a country. But it applies only when that country refuses to take back its own citizens who are in the EU illegally. It has nothing to do with war or security. The one time it was used, against Ethiopia in 2024, was purely about readmission cooperation (Brussels Times). Activating it requires unanimity, meaning France, Italy, or Spain can each block it alone.

The Silent Middle and the Mediterranean Resistance

Germany did not sign the letter either, despite issuing fewer than 24,000 Russian visas in 2025, a 90% drop from pre-war levels. Berlin's argument, articulated in the IPG Journal: a blanket ban would be "a gift to the Kremlin," feeding the propaganda narrative that "the West is directed not against the war, but against the Russian people" (IPG Journal). Yulia Navalnaya, the late opposition leader's widow, has made the same warning (Le Monde).

France, Italy, and Spain offered no formal response to the letter. According to Le Monde, the subject "embarrasses" Paris, with diplomatic sources arguing that existing sanctions already block those on sanctions lists and that students and opposition figures should not be penalized (Le Monde). Italy's credibility on the issue is further weakened by the arrest of a former ambassador accused of selling Schengen visas to Russians for up to €16,000 each (Difesa Online).

A Promise Deferred

The Commission's response, delivered by spokesperson Markus Lammert on June 5, offered "targeted restrictive visa measures" as part of a Visa Code revision expected in 2027, but provided no specifics on scope or timeline for passage (Euronews). Even if the Commission delivers a proposal on schedule, it would still need to survive negotiations with the European Parliament, where MEPs hold equal power to amend or reject the text. France and Italy could dilute the measure at every stage.

The 11-country coalition wants binding rules before next summer. The Commission has given them a promise for next year. The gap between those two dates is another holiday season and another half-million visas that the eastern flank considers a moral and security failure, while the Mediterranean coast counts as revenue. The EU sanctions Russia with one hand and stamps tourist visas with the other. Until the Visa Code changes, no mechanism exists to resolve that contradiction.