After much debate and calls to ban Russian tourists from entering the territory of the European Union and the countries of the Schengen area, the Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – along with Poland, became among the first EU countries to impose a such ban on September 19.
Immediately after the Baltic states and Poland, feeling the pressure of an influx of Russian tourists, Finland also imposed border measures.
“With the government’s decision in principle on September 29, 2022, Finland will severely limit the travel of Russians to Finland for tourism purposes. The entry restrictions come into effect on September 30, 2022 at 00:00 and are valid until further notice,” announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
On September 25, the Czech Republic also completely banned Russian citizens holding a valid Schengen visa.
Meanwhile, Belgium suspended the granting of tourist visas to Russian citizens at the beginning of July this year. The country now issues visas only to students, researchers and those with family members in the country.
Ahead of Belgium, in May Denmark also stopped accepting applications for short-term and long-term visas in Russia. The country now only issues visas for official visits.
Similarly, Slovakia also does not accept tourist visa applications to Russia.