Finland has called for a total EU ban on issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens as Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Monday (October 12) that the European Commission should strengthen its guidelines on Russian visa applications and propose legislative changes necessary for an EU-wide ban.
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“As long as Russia continues its invasion, Russian citizens should not be issued tourist visas,” Valtonen said.
“It is not fair that Russians can go to Europe to enjoy the way of life and freedoms here while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians,” she added.
Finland stopped issuing visas to Russians for tourism and other non-essential travel under a government decision adopted in 2022. Valtonen said the same restriction should finally be introduced across the EU.
Nearly 500,000 visas issued in 2025
According to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Schengen countries granted Russian citizens almost 500,000 tourist visas in 2025.
Finland says the restrictions imposed by each member state are insufficient because a Schengen visa issued by a country generally allows its holder to travel throughout most of the area without a passport.
Valtonen invited other EU governments to join a letter asking the European Commission to develop a common approach.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also said he intended to raise this proposal at the next European Council.
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“A concrete measure that I will present at next week’s European Council is for Europe to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians,” Orpo told Finnish broadcaster Yle.
He linked the proposal to security concerns over alleged Russian sabotage operations in Europe.
“Why on earth are we letting them enter European territory as tourists, where they can move freely?” Orpo said.
The proposal concerns tourist and other non-essential travel. It would not automatically bar entry for humanitarian or family reasons or to Russians seeking protection from political persecution.
Putin’s entourage, athletes and fighters also targeted
Finland’s proposal goes beyond ordinary tourist visas.
Helsinki is also seeking to ban Schengen visas for members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s entourage and people or organizations subject to EU sanctions.
The letter proposes restrictions on Russian athletes and members of sports teams with close ties to the Kremlin. Finland also wants the EU to effectively implement an agreed entry ban on current and former Russian fighters who took part in the war against Ukraine.
The European Commission previously proposed excluding people who have served in Russia’s armed forces since the invasion, arguing that Europe should remain inaccessible to those who joined Moscow’s war.
EU officials and several member states have described Russian veterans as a potential security threat, particularly amid allegations that Moscow recruits individuals to carry out sabotage, arson and surveillance operations across Europe.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna previously warned that the EU needed a coordinated system to identify and blacklist veterans, saying there could be “no path from Bucha to Brussels”.
An EU-wide ban on tourist visas has not yet been adopted and would require an agreement between member states as well as changes to the bloc’s common visa rules.
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